Reflections of Fate
by WildfireDreams
Summary: RWGW After the destruction of the gundams, the pilots recieve new armors and must join forces with the ronin warriors to save all of humanity. Here is the new chapter, thanks once again to Xardion. Final Chapter Posted. Thank you everyone for your support
1. Chapter 1

_This story takes place after Endless Waltz, therfore the gundams have been destroyed. Everyone has gone back to their homes to live normal peaceful lives... **They Wish!** For unknown to them, eight of them possess a powerful armor from a set of nine. The ninth belongs to one who has supposedly been dead for a year now. Thanks to a vision one girl knows about the pending danger and seeks out the nine in order to help save the world. However three will fall before she can find them. So begins the first book of the Ronin Gundam Chronicles: Reflections of Fate._     

"Look, we're almost there," said Milliardo as their craft approached the Red Planet. As Noin turned her head to see, she saw a lone armored figure standing in front of the ship.     

The armor was dark blue, almost black, and on the breastplate was a silver moon. On the back of the armor was a quiver full of silver arrows and in his hands was a silver bow. A translucent blue sphere protected the warrior from the void of space.     

He lifted the bow and shot the engines with an arrow. Amazing as it may seem the single arrow was enough to put the engines out of commission. Milliardo began to pull up the weapons when Noin gasped in surprise. When he turned he saw why.     

The face plate of the armor retracked revealing a very familiar face. It was Treize. The tips of his brown hair were now dark blue and his eyes were expressionless, as if he were in some kind of trance.     

"Trieze..." were the only words that either of them were able to say before he began his next attack.     

"Roc Diver!" shouted Treize as he readied a second arrow. The silver arrow changed blue as it filled with energy. When he shot it, it changed into a gargantuan bird. The Roc slammed its wings into it's side and dove towards the vessal.     

_The last thing Milliardo or Noin rembered that day was a strange feild forming around them before they passed out._


	2. Chapter 2

_In a realm known as the Dynasty a 'young' woman known as the Lady Kayura has had a vison revealing to her the existance of the Celestial Armors. Hidden for millenia these armors were ment to awaken only when the evil **Nanashi** awakens from his celestial prison. Now that they have returned Nanashi has awakened and his evil will soon return to the Mortal Realm._     

A girl about fifteen appeared at the sight of the wreaked ship. She was protected from the vaccume known as space by a translucent golden bubble like sheild. She wore a yellow and black armor without a helmet. She had blue eyes and long blue hair held back by a high ponytail.     

"No! I'm too late!" she exclaimed, "Now he has three of them," with that said she vanished.     

She reapeared by a small waterfall in the center of a sakura grove. Waiting for her there were three 'young' men. The first had long wavy white hair and a single crystal blue eye. His left eye was gone and its hollow was covered by a black eyepatch. He was wearing a green subarmor. The second had short blue hair and blue eyes, over his left eye was a red cross-shaped scar. He was wearing a red subarmor. The third has short green hair and pale skin. His eyes were black and seemed almost reptilian, his eyelids were naturaly purple colored. He was wearing a brown subarmor.     

The girl banished her armor and was soon clad in a blue subarmor.     

"My lady?" asked the second.     

"Pheonix and Artic have been captured, he has three now. Kale, I want you to find Reflections and Oceania."     

"Yes my lady," responded the second, Kale.     

"Dais, I want you to locate Dune and Tempest."     

"Ofcourse Kayura," replied the first, Dais.     

"I am going after Hell Fire and Crystal. Sehkmet, you are to inform the Ronins."     

"Sure Kay," grinned the third, Sehkmet.     

"And don't call me Kay!"     

"Alright Kay."     

Kayura ignored him and left to search for Hell Fire and Crystal. 


	3. Chapter 3

    Duo had been talking to Hilde when they had suddenly apeared out of nowhere. He couldn't see any sign of a human life and their main noticable feature were there glowing red eyes, if you could call them that. Because besides being in the same general area in no way did they resemble eyes. Each one was armed with weapons that had been used in feudal japan. The leader was armed with a kusari-gama and the other two held katanas.     

Duo didn't give them time to attack. He pulled out his gun and fired six times.     

"What are they?" asked Hilde as she saw that the bullets had no effect on them save that a gray smoke oozed from the various holes in the armors.     

"I don't know, but I'm not going down with out a fight. Even if I must become Shinigami again," replied Duo as he prepared to fight.     

"I won't let you have them!" cried a girls voice as a kusari-gama struck the head off of the leader. The other two were destroyed shortly after and it was soon revealed that Kayura was their rescuer.     

"Who are you?" asked Hilde.     

"What were those things, and how did you defeat them?" asked Duo at the same time.     

"I am Kayura, bearer of the Spring Armor. They were just trapped souls forced to complete Nanashi's will, but they are free now. You must be the bearers of the Hell Fire and Crystal Armors," answered Kayura as she banished her armor, leaving only the robes of her post as the last of the Ancients, "What are your names?"     

"I'm Hilde Schbeiker," answered Hilde.     

"Duo Maxwell. What did you mean by Hell Fire and Crystal?" asked Duo.     

"That is the reason they came for you. Hell Fire and Crystal are two armors of a set of nine. You Duo are the bearer of Hell Fire and you Hilde possess Crystal," explained Kayura as she held out two small, milky white orbs. Inside one was the firey kanji of kindness and the other the crystal blue kanji of love.     

"You mean like that armor you were wearing a while ago?" asked Hilde.     

"Yes, but not identical. Each armor has it's own virtue and it's own element," answered Kayura. 


	4. Chapter 3 continued

    "Hell Fire, looks like I will be Shinigami again after all," said Duo as he took his orb.     

"God of Death? Strange thing to call yourself, but then I was once known as the Mistress of Pain,"said Kayura.     

'This is insane,' thought Hilde but she couldn't think of another reason to explain the armored beings that had attacked her earlier. As she decided this she took the small orb from Kayura's hand.     

"Take my hand and I will take you to where you can train and be safe while my companions search for your friends," said Kayura as she held out her hand. As soon as both teens took her hand she teleported back to the Dynasty. 

* * *

    __

I know that this was short and I appologize, it was supposed to be at the end of the last chapter.     

Because Kayura has an armor now I am going to give the Starlight Swords to another character. Only I don't know who. I am asking all of you to please email me the name of one of the characters below and it will be the one who gets the most votes. the canidates are:   
  
        1. Relena Peacecraft(GW)   
        2. Sally Po(GW)   
        3. Catherine Bloom(GW)   
        4. Lady Une(GW)   
        5. Marimeya Kushrinada(GW)   
        6. Dorthy (anyone know her last name?)(GW)   
        7. Mia Koji(RW)     

Please send your votes to RoninParadice@aol.com and the girl with the most votes wins. Hilde and Noin are excluded as they will bear armors.     

Also please E-mail me any suggestions for couples(non yaoi please). And not TrowxCatherine because my GW source says that they **are** brother and sister.     

Thank you!   
                                                --Wildfire out 


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter IV   
This Chapter was written by Xardion, so full credit goes to him._

Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors or Gundam Wing (To get to lawsuits off your back) 

_Colony L1_

Through the busy streets of the now night-time colony, Heero Yuy strode to his apartment home after a solid day of work. But as he walked alone, a light mist began to form around him, causing the young man to stop in his tracks. Looking around, he saw several armored beings surrounding him, each holding a staff with bladed ends and glowing red eyes. The creatures charged at him, but Heero rolled out of the way, causing two of the charging minions to stab each other and fall; a vapor of mist bursting out of them. 

Getting to his feet, Heero quickly whipped out his gun and fired, but the creatures were completely unaffected. Heero narrowed his eyes and the creatures charged again, but everything suddenly became pitch-black. Sounds of clashes and slicing emitted before him briefly before the scene returned to normal. The empty creatures were now all slain, sort to speak, and standing over them was a single warrior, armored like they were, but vastly different. He was wearing a dark red armor with a black cape flowing behind. In his hand was a large sword, a no-datchi. The warrior turned to him and as he did, the armor glowed briefly and then disappeared, revealing a man that 'looked' close to his age, with short blue hair, blue eyes and a red sub-armor. His left eye had a cross-shaped scar over it. 

"I was fortunate to have found you, Re..." 

However, he was soon cut off when Heero leveled his gun straight on his forehead. 

"You have five seconds." Heero responded coldly. 

Kale may not have known it, but Heero was being nice. Normally, he wouldn't have given him one. However, Kale gave a brief grin and lifted his hand, revealing a white orb. Within it was a deep blue symbol, to which Heero recognized as Kosei. _'Individuality.'_ Unknown to Heero, the same symbol shimmered on his forehead and glowed steadily. Kale saw this and nodded. 

"You are the bearer of the armor of Reflections. And you are in danger." 

Heero narrowed his eyes once more, but lowered his gun. Kale handed him the orb and it electrified in Heero's hand. 

"An evil creature called Nanashi is threatening all life as you know it." Kale continued. "I have been sent to make sure you are ready to fight it." 

The gun came up again, "How do I know you're not from Nanashi?" 

"Because I saved your life. Nanashi was the one that sent those minions after you." When he didn't lower the gun, Kale grumbled, "Okay, look. I've been sent here to save you from a horrible evil, yet you still don't trust me?" 

"No." 

"Fine. I'll take you to Lady Kayura. She'll explain everything." He lift his hand, "I'm only going to hold of your arm. You can keep your weapon where it is, and if you feel anything else you don't trust, then you can end my life." 

Heero considered it briefly before he lifted his arm up. Kale took it slowly, putting the gun on his temple now as he did. 

"I didn't get your name." 

"Heero Yuy." 

A pleasure. I'm sure. I'm Kale." 

The two were soon teleported to the Dynasty... 

****

_'Heero.'_

Relena's eyes snapped open and she arose from her bed. It had been several weeks since the Mariemaia incident. Relena for her part had been doing what she could to restore the fragile peace that existed between the colonies and Earth. But it wasn't until a week ago when she began having these weird dreams. Visions even. It was always vague and she would awaken to forgetfulness. _'Am I loosing my mind?'_ It was usually at these times that she would think of Heero. She had thought about him a lot lately. Ever since he disappeared that last time... Shaking it off, she sat up from her bed, but stopped short with her eyes wide in shock. 

_'Am I still dreaming?'_

There, a foot or two away from her bed was a thin sword stabbed into the floor. It seemed to glow lightly before her and she could almost swear that it was singing. As she stood up, a million thought entered her mind, foremost being that it might be someone's idea of threat. But for some reason, it didn't seem so. The sword... seemed to be calling her. It glittered like the stars in the sky. She reached out to it, but stopped short. _'A preacher of peace with a weapon of war...'_ she mused humorously to herself. But it still seemed to call out to her and Relena reached for it again and touched it...

* * *

_Thanks again Xardion, I really love this chapter you wrote and hopefully so does everyone who reads this. Remember everyone give a big thank you to Xardion, this fic probably would be dead without him!!! _


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

Chap. 5

Preventor HQ 

"Welcome back."

Sally and Wufei both saluted to Lady Une. They had just come back from completing their mission, preventing a small rebel force from becoming too much of a disturbance by destroying their base of supplies. Without them, the rebels were forced to disband, thus eliminating another fire, as it were, before it got out of hand. Lady Une lifted her palm, allowing the two to be at ease. Taking a seat, she spoke.

"I'm sorry to send you two out so suddenly, but another mission has come up. One of vital importance."

Sally gave a light sigh, one that Wufei snorted at. Une gave a small chuckle at the scene before continuing.

"Our long-range radar has detected an explosion in sector 49901."

Sally blinked, "Sector 4991? But that's pretty far out. Halfway to..."

Sally stopped, telling Une that she had just realized what might have happened. The sector was en route to the Martian territory. That meant only one thing.

"We want you two to investigate. Find out what happened and if they survived."

Later... Colony X0019 

The two Preventors strode off their shuttle and toward the booster craft that would take them in the designated area. But even so, it would still take them two days to reach it. Sally gave a glance at her silent partner.

"I hope they're okay."

Wufei seemed about to comment when he stopped walking. Sally looked ahead and saw the reason why. Two figures were moving toward them from underneath the ship. She didn't recognize the first, but the second was clearly distinguishable.

"Heero?"

Indeed, Heero walked out before them. Next to him was a young man with short blue hair, blue eyes and a long dark coat. His left eye had a cross-shaped scar over it. Wufei gaze was locked with Heero's. The last time they met was when they battled with Wing Zero and Altron. Sally gave a nervous glance at the two, hoping that there were no hard feelings between the two.

"What are you doing here, Heero?"

Heero simply turned to Kale, who began to speak, "You are the bearer of the armor of Oceania."

"Armor? Oceania?"

Kale nodded, "Yes. Generations ago, a set of nine mystical armors was created to battled against evil should it arise." His eyes wavered to the side, "Anyway, I will explain everything later. We must hurry and leave this place."

Wufei simply moved on leaving Sally to answer for him, "We can't. We have a mission to carry out and it can't wait." She then added skeptically, "Besides, mystical armors?"

"It sounds farfetched, I know. But it is the truth."

"We don't have time for this nonsense." Wufei grunted out. "We have to go."

Kale turned to him, unaware that Heero's eyes were beginning to move around as well, "You are in danger, Oceania. An evil creature named Nanashi is after you and wants to control you and your armor."

Wufei stopped, not believing any of this. But he turned his head to Heero, "And what do you think, Heero? You're not the type to believe this unless given reason."

"I'm keeping my opinion in reserve for now."

Wufei closed his eyes, "Well, in any case, we have to go. Whatever this Nanashi thing is, it would be a fool to come after a gundam pilot."

Wufei began to walk again and Sally gave a light shrug, "Well, what can I say? When he makes up his mind, there's no point in trying to change it."

"In that case, give him this." Kale lifted his hand and handed her a orb with the sea-blue kanji symbol of Meiyou – _Honor_.

"They will come after him and when they do, he'll need this."

Sally took the sphere in her hands, "Well, it's beautiful at least. I'll try to..."

Suddenly, the surrounding area around them began to darken. Heero turned to Kale who was also looking around. The environment began to cool quickly and their breath became cool mists.

"What going on?"

"We have company." Kale muttered darkly

Dark figures emerged around them, showing them to be the same armored creatures of before.

"We better go now."

Without another word, the group ran toward the booster rocket, only to be blasted back as a beam hit it from above. The rocket was soon encased in a block of ice. As the four got back to their feet, the soldiers began to close in on them. Kale opened his coat and tossed it aside, revealing his red sub-armor. He held his fists up ready to fight, but the soldiers stopped in their movement. Suddenly an object soared overhead and landed right in the midst of them. Standing upright, it turned around to them, surprising them all.

"Zechs!?!"

The person standing before them was indeed Zechs, but at the same time, it wasn't. He was wearing stark blue armor with a six-point star emblem on his breastplate. His armored hand bore a single blade, slightly curved at the end and with a four-pointed hilt. A vapor mist emanated from his body as he gazed at them with cold, blank eyes.

"You know him?" Kale questioned.

"Yeah. That's who we were supposed to be looking for."

Kale looked back at Zechs in realization, "So that means... never mind. Listen. Both of them are under Nanashi's control."

Zechs soon spoke; his voice a cold as his armor. "Oceania, Reflections. Surrender yourselves to Nanashi's will or be destroyed."

"I don't think so. You'll have to go through me, Arctic."

A dark aura surrounded Kale as he put his hands together, calling forth his armor.

"_Tao Tei!!!!!"_

A dark blast shot out of his hands and onto him. Swirls of the cloth rolled around him and exploded into what appear to be cherry blossom leaves. The leaves drifted onto his sub-armor and re-materialized into his armor and helmet. The facepiece remained closed over his face and his cape billowed behind him. Another crackle of dark lightning brought his no-datchi blade into form.

"And as the warlord of darkness, you won't get far!"

L3 colony 

The circus tent towered before the silent figure of Dais. Sounds of cheering crowds echoed out of as the warlord approached. He sensed the presence of both Dune and Tempest within. _'Two for one. It's almost too good to be true.'_ As he moved closer, a wave of heat crossed his eye just briefly. But it was enough to stop him and cause him to look around. Waves of heat were all around him as he turned around fully behind him. There, standing motionless behind him was an armored figure, colored in bright orange-yellow. The chestplate bore the insignia of a fiery bird. _A phoenix._ But most notable of all was that the figure...was female. Not only that, but she was holding two thin blades in her hands. _Jittes._ Dais half-smiled.

"So I was right. It was too easy. Well then, let's get this over with, Phoenix."

She returned the smile and attacked...


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See previous chapter 

_Chap. 6_

The crowd inside the circus tent cheered as Trowa and Catherine completed their high-wire act. The two performers bowed in response and then lowed down to the floor. There in one of the front seats was a still applauding Quatre. 

"That was great you two." 

"Thanks Quatre." Catherine answered with a smile. "Like the seats?" 

The blond Arabian boy nodded, "Yes. Thanks for inviting me." 

"Don't mention it." Trowa responded. He was about to say more when a cry came from behind the tent curtain. 

"Fire!" 

Both Quatre and Trowa jumped up as they caught the sight of the smoke. The crowds saw it as well and in a panic, they ran for the exits. The performers all moved in to put out the fire, only to see that it was much bigger than they thought. 

"Keep the fire away from the animals!" the ringmaster ordered. 

Quatre and Trowa, along with a few others, rushed in to put it down. Another burst came in from behind the two and they managed to avoid it. But that caused them to wonder just what was causing the fires. They exited the tent and outside to see the fire had raged across a good half a block. People were just running out of their homes and calling for help. But that wasn't what caught their attention. What did were the two armored figures that were fighting a distance away. One was in gold armor and apparently female. The other was male with a darker armor. As they fought, spews of fire shot out from one of them and torched the floor around them. Upon closer inspection, Quatre suddenly recognized the woman warrior. 

"Ms. Noin?!" 

Noin paid no attention to the two as she continued to fight against Dais. Noin leaped up into the air and stabbed forward with her jitte. Dais sidestepped the slash and jumped away from the secondary slash she used. Landing on the ground, he shot out his Chin-Lin-Tao blades. They all shot toward Noin rapidly, but Noin batted then all away. Raised her jitte high, she lashed out with another wave of fire, but Dais had attacked first, retracting his Chin-Lao-Tin and lashing his nunchuku out at the same time. The weapon managed to hit Noin in the chest and she hit the ground. Dais then moved in to finish her off when... 

"Stop!" 

Quatre quickly stood in between Dais and the fallen Noin. Dais halted in his attack, but kept his weapon leveled. 

"Out of the way. You have no idea what she is." 

Quatre narrowed his eyes, "You'll have to go through me." 

As he uttered those words, a kanji symbol flashed on his forehead. It was brief, but Dais saw it quite clearly. 'Kitai. The symbol of hope. Dune.' Tapping his forehead, the helmet vanished away, revealing his white hair and single blue eye. 

"Dune. You are in danger. You must..." 

But this gave Noin the time she needed to recover, leap right over Quatre and kick Dais right in the face. Dais was floored by the attack and Noin raised her weapon to strike. 

"Ms. Noin, wait." 

She halted her attack and turned her head to him this time. Quatre relaxed, but that was until she turned fully and slashed down, releasing a wave of fire right at him. Quatre was frozen solid as it came at him but suddenly Trowa dashed in and tackled him down. But that wasn't without its price as the flames torched his leg. 

"Guuhhh!!!" 

The two gundam pilot tumbled on the floor, with Trowa in pain and Quatre still stunned, not out of fear but by the fact that Noin actually attacked him. He turned to Trowa and checked over his wounded friend. 

"Trowa. Are you okay?" 

Trowa grunted, but nodded in affirmation, "Yeah, uhh." 

Quatre was about to examine the wound when the clinking of metal caught his attention. Looking up, he saw Noin stand over him, blades in hand and raised high. 

"Nanashi will have you now." 

But before she could strike, an object clashed into her hands, causing her to falter away to the side. Looking up, Noin saw that the strike had come from Dais's nunchaku. Dais moved over to the fallen pilot and stood in defense while Noin regained her bearings. 

"You can not stop us." 

Noin charged on and stabbed forward with incredible quickness. But as soon as she struck the target, it shimmered and faded away, both Dais and the two boys. Noin blinked in surprised and looked around herself, but they were nowhere in sight. 'Illusion...' Frowning at her failure, Noin turned away and disappeared into the flames. --------- 

Kale and Zechs clashed at each other furiously as blade met with blade repeatedly. Kale was a seasoned warrior, but Zechs proved to be a formidable opponent. Indeed, the armor of Arctic grants great power to the bearer. Nevertheless, the former Warlord of Darkness was about to be bested by him just yet. 

Meanwhile, Heero, Wufei and Sally were being cornered in by the soldiers. They had initially thought of escaping into the next docking area only to find all the exits blocked in by ice. 

"Damn, we're trapped." Sally exclaimed. 

Wufei however, wasn't going down without a fight. With a cry, he jumped up in attack and kicked the first soldier square on the chest. But the blow had no affect and Wufei bounced off. The soldier then raised its bladed staff to strike, but Heero jumped in to attack as well. But the creature saw it coming and waved back, hitting Heero. 

"Heero!" 

But to their surprise, Heero wasn't injured. More so, a flash of light emitted from him and when Heero landed, he was wearing a milky blue and white sub-armor. Heero stood amazed at what happened (thought it didn't show on his face), but it faded quickly as the soldier came in again. Reacting quickly, Heero ducked the slash and shot up with an uppercut. The strength of the blow caused the soldier's head to smash back and fly through the air. It then crashed into a few others behind it and burst into gray smoke. The other soldiers surrounded him cornered him in and Heero stood ready to attack. 

The fight between Kale and Zechs continued as both swordsmen fought atop the frozen ship. Kale blinked when he saw a flash of light and saw that it was Heero who had changed into his sub-armor. Kale then jumped back before Zechs could stab him with his saber. Looking back at the group, he saw Sally Po being cornered in by the remaining minions and remembered that she had Wufei's orb. 'He must change if they are to survive.' At that point, Zechs dove off the ship in attack, but Kale jumped away again. As much as he hated to leave a fight, there were more important things to do. He dashed away and headed toward Sally who was standing near the rising Wufei. He thought briefly about using his greatest attack, but figured against it, realizing that such an attack could damage the area and possibly the colony. 'Guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way.' 

"Raahhhhhhh!!!!" 

Kale rushed in and struck out with his claw arm, knocking the first two across. Then with a backlash with his sword, he chopped across three more. The remaining ones back away for awhile, giving Kale some time. 

"Give Oceania his armor. It's the only way..." 

However Zechs, who had charged and clashed with him, cut him off. Kale tried to push back, but he found that his movement was restricted. Looking down, he saw a slow build-up of ice forming around his legs. Zechs smiled darkly and backed away. He then raised his saber and a thick cold mist emitted out. 

"Armor of Arctic! Winter's Heart!!!!" 

Zechs slashed down and a wave of ice ripped through the floor and straight at Kale. Kale saw it come and struggled to break out of the ice in desperation. The ice cracked and then shatter and Kale quickly jumped away as the ice hit. It continued on until it hit a wall and then exploded into a hailstorm of ice. The attack was so severe that a massive shard of ice exploded outside of the colony like a crystal tower. Back inside, Sally had rushed to Wufei to give him the orb when Zechs used his attack. The resulting hail had fallen on her, cutting across her body. 

"Ahhh!!!!!" 

Sally fell to the ground hard and the orb roll out of her hand and toward Wufei. Wufei saw the object and looked at it briefly. He was no match for these creatures. He needed a weapon to fight them. Seeing Heero's success in combating them, Wufei figure that the orb was the weapon he needed. Just then, one of the soldiers caught sight of him and attack. Wufei scrambled to the orb and grabbed it just as the bladed lance came down. But the blade soon stopped, for Wufei had quickly whirled around and caught it between his hands. He was now clad in a sea green sub-armor. Wufei struggle with the blade for a moment and then shattered it. The soldier backed away in surprise and Wufei planted his hands on the ground and struck forward with a double kick, knocking the soldier back and causing him to vaporize in smoke. 

Meanwhile, Kale is struggling up off the ground. Though he managed to escape to full force of Zechs attack, the hailstorms had hammered him to the ground and injured him. As he moved to rise, Zechs stood over him, sword raised again when Heero jumped in between them. 

"Snap out of it, Zechs." 

Zechs only answer was a swipe of his saber, missing Heero by an inch, but leaving shards of ice on his chest. Heero narrowed his eyes at him ready to fight when Kale called to him. 

"Call for the armor of Reflections!" 

Heero gave him a single glance. He still wasn't sure of what was going on and he didn't totally believe any of it. But he was a soldier and he had to survive. Thus, Heero followed Kale's order. 

"Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!!!!!" 

Another burst of energy flashed out of Heeo's body and waves of cloth circled around him. The cloth lifted up high and soon shattered into starry fragments that fluttered down. The fragments stuck onto the sub-armor and brought the true armor to form. Heero was now wearing a milky blue armor and helmet. His back was set with four sheaths, each one holding a katana sword. Heero wasted to time in pulling out two of the blades and leveling them at Zechs. 

"Mission accepted." 

Zechs lifted his own blade in order to fight when his eyes widened briefly. He was receiving a telepathic message... from Nanashi. 

'Master? As you wish.' 

Zechs sheathed his sword, leapt up into the air and vanished away. The soldiers faded into nothingness as well, leaving only the three armored warriors, a fallen woman and the frozen destruction around them. 

"We have to go." 


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: See previous chapter 

_Chap. 7_

_Koji residence, Japan_

"So here we are, back again huh?" 

Kento, Cye, Rowen, Sage and Ryo were all gathered in the mansion living room. Mia also stood nearby and the ronins waited for Sehkmet, who was standing in the midst of them, to speak. They had all been called in from their lives by the former Warlord to discuss the emergency he spoke of. 

"Yeah. We haven't come together like this since Talpa was defeated." Sage added. 

Cye nodded in agreement, "It's too bad this couldn't be under better circumstances." 

"So what's this all about, Sehkmet?" Rowen asked, getting straight to the point. 

Sehkmet, still in his sub armor, began, "I don't know the full details, but suffice to say that something is coming. Something that is far worse than Talpa. An evil force named Nanashi has awakened, and it threatens both this world and the Nether Realm." 

The group half-gasped in shock and surprise. 

"How can that be?" Ryo questioned. 

"I don't know." Sehkmet answered. "I only know that and that you will need help in this battle. That is why you will be aided by the Celestial Warriors." 

Kento blinked, "Celestial what?" 

"Warriors also possess mystical armors and powers of their own." Sehkmet explained. "The others warlords were sent to get them when Nanashi awoke. But three of them were captured by Nanashi and turned to his side." 

"That sounds bad." Sage commented. "It sounds like this Nanashi already got the jump on us." 

"Lady Kayura will give you the full details. I just came to get you guys." Sehkmet finished. "But we must hurry. Like Talpa, Nanashi grows stronger every second." 

Kento jumped up from his seat, "Alright. It's been a while since I had any action." 

The other moved to stand up as well and Sage said, "Well, we better get going." 

"Wait." Mia said suddenly. "Do you guys hear that?" 

"Huh? What are you talking about, Mia?" Ryo questioned. 

Mia looked around, as if trying to determine the source. "You don't hear it? Like... singing." 

"Singing?" 

Mia turned and exited into the kitchen. The others watched briefly and then followed behind her. They walked through the kitchen and into the yard outside. There, Mia had stopped in the center of the yard. 

Mia, what is it?" Ryo asked as he moved up behind her. 

Mia didn't respond and simply turned toward them. There within her hands, a thin sword lay within. It was curved the hilt and the blade shone lightly in the sun, though it was unknown if it was the sunlight or the sword itself. 

"Hey, isn't that's one of the Starlight Swords?" Kento noticed. He then reached out to touch it, only to have it flash and knock his hand away. The others saw this and were surprised further. 

"What? It won't let him touch it." Rowen said first. "So only Mia can hold it?" 

Mia blinked, "Me? But why?" 

"Hey. What about the other sword?" Cye replied. "Shouldn't there be two of them?" 

Kento looked around the area, "Hey, he's right. And I don't see it anywhere around." 

Sehkmet finally decided to intercede, "Kayura may be able to answer that. But we must go now and deal with Nanashi." 

The ronins nodded in agreement and formed a circle, surrounding Mia in the process. Ryo held them up brief and whistled for Whiteblaze who joined them shortly. A circle of light shimmered into view, connecting the ronins together and causing them all to disappear in a flash of light. 

Next stop: The Nether Realm... 

------------------------- 

_Unknown_

In a pitch-black chamber room, three figures materialized into view. Zechs, Noin and Trieze were wearing sub-armors and their heads were lowered down. Before them, a massive throne loomed over them. A dark shadowy form soon came into view. It had a humanoid form, but it was too indistinguishable to recognize it clearly. Death white eyes glared from within the ghastly figure. 

"Master." Zechs spoke. "We regret to inform you that we were unsuccessful in capturing to remaining Celestials." 

The specter seemed to pulsate as it spoke, **_"Never mind them. They still will not be able to use the full powers they possess. Our sole threat now is the Ronins. Chances are that they have been gathered by now. Both the Ronins and the Warlords are a significant threat, but they will attempt to train the Celestials. Only they possess the power to reach this domain."_**

"We will make sure that does not happen, master." Trieze replied. 

**_"No. I have a better idea. We will allow them to train the Celestials for now. But we will not make it easy. You three will harass them and make it difficult. If you have a chance to destroy any of the Ronins or Warlords, then do so. But make sure the Celestials stay alive. Go now."_**

The three bowed to him and vanished away. Soon after, another figure came into view. A shadowy armored figure with glowing red eyes. 

**_"I have a job for you Toka. Find the two Jewels and bring them to me at once."_**

"Yes master." 


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 8 

_Nether Realm_

Dais had just warped into view, bringing with him Trowa and Quatre. The two looked up in surprise as they saw that they were in a forest. But it felt...so different. As though they knew they were somewhere else. Dais shed his armor, leaving his sub-armor in tact as he led them through the mystifying woods. Trowa moved with a slight limp, still injured from the firefight against Phoenix (Noin) and Quatre stayed with him to help him. They didn't have to walk far though. Soon the three came into a clearing where stood a small dojo-looking place. Entering inside, the three soon joined with nine others, six of whom where more than familiar to Trowa and Quatre. 

"Hey guys. What took ya?" Duo's jovial tone broke out. 

Quatre smiled, "Duo! Heero, Wufei! You're all here." His gaze soon moved to the Hilde and he waved a hello to her as well, to which she returned. Trowa walked in as well and quietly stood by the wall. 

"So why are we all here?" he questioned. 

Duo shrugged, "All we know is that there's some evil creature out there that wants us and that we are the only hope for everything. You know, saving the world and stuff like that." 

Trowa simply nodded at the answer while Quatre spoke, "So you guys know as much as we do, I guess." 

Hilde nodded, "More or less. It's weird." 

"More than you know." 

Everyone turned to the crystalline voice, which came from a reappearing Kayura, dressed in ceremonial robes and holding a staff with rings hooked onto it. The warlords took positions beside her while she looked over to Wufei. 

"Your friend is injured badly. I've treated her as best as possible, but we'll have to wait for Halo to come and heal her fully." 

Trowa's eyes narrowed slightly, "Friend?" 

Wufei turned to the silent pilot and answered, "That woman got injured while we fought against Zechs." 

"Zechs?" 

"He attacked us with some sort of armor." Wufei answered again. 

Quatre's head lowered, "Just like Noin. She attacked us as well." 

Heero directed his attention the Kayura, "You owe us an explanation." 

Kayura nodded, "And you shall have it. You six are the chosen ones to wear the Celestial armors. They are the kinsarmors of the Ronin Warriors as well as our armors. Like our armors, yours is derived from parts and traits of the human spirit. And like ours, they were made to protect the human race." 

Everyone was silent, but she could feel their disbelief, despite this. Lifting her arm, she raised her staff high and it began to shine. Everyone covered their eyes briefly until their gazes adjusted. When they were able to see, they saw that Kayura and the warlords had symbols on their foreheads. _Loyalty, Piety, Obedience, and Serenity._ But the four weren't alone. The pilots also shimmered with the same symbols on their foreheads. As they looked at each other, Kayura went on. 

"Each symbol represents the spirit of your armors. _Individuality, kindness, love, hope, harmony and honor._ These traits are the most dominant within each of you and thus bind you all together." The staff shimmered down and stopped glowing and she lowered her arm. The pilots all looked at each other, realizing that her words could not be ignored and their traits matched them all. 

"Okay." Duo started, naturally, "So what do we do? I mean, who is this Nanashi that you were talking about?" 

"I will get to that in time. But first, we must await the Ronins. They need to hear this as well." 

Right on cue, a flash of light came from outside and everyone turn to look. There aligned in a circle was a group of people. Six guys that looked around their age, one woman holding a sword and a white tiger in the center. The group walked into the dojo and encountered the people inside. 

"Celestials, these are the Ronin Warriors." Kayura introduced as Sehkmet took his place. "Ronins, these are the Celestial Warriors." 

The group examined each other for a good while. Then Heero and Wufei turned away and Trowa remained as silent as before. Only Hilde, Duo, and Quatre moved forward to meet them. 

"Hi. Name's Duo." Duo replied, stretching out his hand. 

Ryo took his hand, "I'm Ryo. Nice to meet you." 

They soon introduced themselves and got their names across. Quatre had to tell them Heero and Wufei's names, but paused when he turned to Trowa, who was currently looking down at the approaching tiger. 

"That's Whiteblaze." Ryo said. 

Trowa said nothing as he bent down before the tiger unafraid. He lent his hand to Whiteblaze to which the tiger sniffed it briefly and then licked it. His gaze lightening, Trowa stroked the tiger's head and Whiteblaze gave a low moan. 

"It figures." Duo smiled. "The guy works in a circus, so he's practically pals with every animal alive." 

Whiteblaze soon turned away and looked into the group, who were also circled in before Kayura. 

"So what's all this about, Kayura?" 

"In a moment. But first..." Her gaze drifted over to Sage. "I need your help, Halo." 

The blond-haired ronin centered his eye on her, "Help with what?" 

"While retrieving the Celestials, one of their friends was injured. The wounds are bad and I hoped that you would be able to help heal her." 

Sage nodded, "I'll do what I can. Where is she?" 

Kayura indicated to Kale, who moved over to the door. Sage followed his one time archenemy into a side room where Sally Po lay on a cot bandaged. Sage called his sub-armor forth. 

"I've never treated injuries this severe, but I'll try my best."   
  
----------------------------------------- 

_Later on..._

"Now let's get to the heart of this." Rowen started. "Who is this Nanashi anyway?" 

Kayura finally answered that question, "Nanashi is an ancient evil of incredible power. So powerful that through his spawn, he created a legion of dark monsters and demons. His strongest seed was none other than Talpa himself." 

All of the ronins gasped in surprise. "No way! This guy is Talpa's dad?" Kento replied. 

"Yes. Millennia ago, he threatened the very existence of all life. But my ancestors, the Ancient Ones managed to seal him away in a dark prison where he has been ever since." 

"Until now." Trowa quietly noted. 

"Yes." She nodded in affirmation. "He has broken free and unless we can stop him, he will wipe out everything with his power. After he was sealed, it was always assumed that he would escape, so a set of armors were created to be able to combat them should the need arise. But they were never completed because of the invasions of Nanashi's spawn. So the armors were sent into space and it was there that they were completed through the traits of humanity. It was also during this time when Talpa was defeated and his armor was divided and made to create the Ronin and Warlord armors, which also derive their power from the traits of the human spirit. Because of this, all these armors became connected. But the Celestials could not have been called forth until now, when Nanashi had awakened." 

"And that being now." Cye replied. 

"The armors have awoken and they sought out their masters. The fact that you are all gundam pilots only proves the strength you each possess within you." 

"Okay." Duo started. "So now that we have these armors, now we can go and kick Nanashi's butt." 

Kayura shook her head, "It's not that easy. You six have yet to fully understand your powers. And Nanashi has managed to capture three of the Celestials and added them to his fighting force." 

"Noin, Zechs, and someone else." Heero replied. 

"And Nanashi has an army of powerful warriors under his control, creatures that may rival Talpa in sheer power. Only when you gain full control of your abilities can you be able to fight successfully. The ronins and the warlords will train you in using your powers in the meantime." 

"Sounds okay with me." Duo shrugged. "What about you guys?" 

"Sure." Quatre answered. "Okay. If this Nanashi is as dangerous as you say, then we have to protect the people of Earth as well as the colonies." 

"Fine." was all Wufei said. 

Trowa merely nodded in acceptance 

Hilde lent back against the wall, shaking her head lightly, "I still think this is all too weird, but okay. I'll fight." 

The only one left to answer was Heero. Kayura knew that he was probably the most cautious of the group. The spirit of the armor of Reflections was individuality. That meant that whatever choice he made would be of his own accord rather than simply joining in with the group. 

"Heero?" Quatre asked. 

"I accept." was the reply. 

Kayura gave a light smile, "Very well, then. Thank you all." 

"Lady Kayura." Ryo broke in. "There's something else." 

He then moved aside to where Mia stood quietly. Kayura looked at her and then noticed what she was holding with instant familiarity, "The Starlight swords? Where did you get it?" 

Mia lifted the weapon up, "It was just there in my backyard. The strange thing was that...it was singing to me." 

Kayura blinked in further surprise, "It did? That means it has chosen you as it wielder." 

Now it was Mia's turn to blink, "Me? But why?" 

"The Starlight swords are attracted to a specific purity of the spirit." the former owner replied, "I'm am not certain what it is, but I know that much." 

"Then that means there must be someone else as well." Sage said. 

Surprise registered on Kayura's face again, although not as much as before, "What do you mean?" 

"There was only one sword. The other wasn't there." 

"How strange." Kayura said in afterthought. "Like the Fervor Soulswords, these blades do not like being divided. But I do not know enough to answer why this has happened." She moved up to Mia and examined the sword, "Talpa had given me these weapons, so although I know their physical strengths and powers, I am unfamiliar with many of its other abilities." 

Mia looked down at the jitte and a sudden flash of inspiration hit her, "Perhaps my grandfather knew something. I need to go back to my house and get my computer to find out." 

"I'll go with you." Ryo interjected. "You never know what might happen." 

"Very well." Kayura agreed. "Sehkmet will accompany you as well." 

"As you wish, Kay." the bug eyed warlord grinned. 

Both the ronins and pilots looked at them in surprise and a bit of humor, which was mainly Duo's area of expertise, "Kay?" 

"I told you, don't call me that." Kayura glared openly. 

Ryo recognized that glare and quickly suggested, "We better go." He did not want to be on the receiving end of the Mistress of Pain...again.   
  
---------------------------------------------- 

_Koji residence_

"Hello? Anyone here?" 

The front door slid open and a young boy stepped inside after removing his helmet. He walked in through the empty house and back outside through the back. 

_'I thought Mia would be here today. Where'd she go? And where's Whiteblaze?'_

However, his questions would soon be accompanied and answered by a shifting of the wind and a darkening of the sky. The winds soon picked up, causing the boy to cover his face from the dust that blew. Lightning struck above and soon struck the ground, causing him to loose his footing and fall. In the place of the lightning strike was a large armored figure with burning red eyes. A giant ax was in its grip and he stood over the boy. 

"Where is the Jewel of Life, boy!?! Give it to me now!" 


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 9 

Ryo, Mia Sehkmet and Whiteblaze materialized in the midst of the backyard grass. But the second they did, they immediately knew that something was wrong. The skies above them were darkened and a mist seemed to loom over them. 

"We have company." 

From within the mist, soldiers began to form and surround them. Whiteblaze crouched low and growled while Mia moved close to Ryo. Ryo and Sehkmet counted the numbers against them and Sehkmet grinned. 

"I'll handle this, ronin. Go inside and do what you have to." 

Ryo blinked as Sehkmet summoned forth his armor and unsheathed two of his katanas. Whiteblaze too, stepped before Sehkmet, showing that he would fight as well. Seeing this, Ryo grabbed Mia's arm and rushed inside the house. The mist was inside as well, but it was heavier. A cry could be heard coming from one of the upper rooms. 

"Leave me alone!" 

One of the doors opened and a young boy dashed out and stumbled toward the stairs. Both Ryo and Mia gasped at whom. 

"Yuli!" 

Yuli saw them and stopped, but his pause was enough for his pursuer to appear over him and reach down to grab him. Yuli jumped back, unfortunately falling back down the stairs. Mia rushed to his rolling body and caught him, but Yuli was unconscious. 

"Yuli! Yuli!!!" 

Ryo moved to the side of them and then back up at the attacker. It was a massive, heavily armored creature wielding an equally massive battle-axe. It looked down at them and his eyes glowed red. 

"Ahh. Ryo of the Wildfire." 

Ryo glared up, "Who are you and what do you want?" 

"Not that it matters, but I am Toka, servant of Nanashi. As for what I want, I want the Jewel of Life." He stretched his hand out, "Now give it over before there is no one left to bury the boy." 

Ryo's anger raged at the last statement, "You're going to pay for this!" His arms raised, _"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!!!!!!!!"_

The cloths of armor circled around him and shattered into cherry blossoms, forming the complete suit of the armor of Wildfire on Ryo. Ryo raised his hand, formed his helmet and set it on. Now finished, Ryo unsheathed his two blades and set himself into battle stance. However, the dark warrior laughed. 

"Come now. Surely you're not suggesting that you can defeat me on your own. Foolish boy." 

Toka suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Ryo, his axe high over his head and coming down. Ryo quickly avoided the chopping blow and it tore up the ground, ripping the stairs in half as well. Ryo jumped back and gave Mia a quick glance before jumped back again to dodge Toka's next slash. Mia understood what he was doing. He was drawing the dark warrior away so that she could get to her files. Picking up Yuli, she clambered up the torn stairs and toward her room. 

Meanwhile outside, Ryo found himself having a harder time avoiding the fury of Toka, who was swinging relentlessly and slicing down every tree in his path. Ryo finally decided to stop running and reversed course, now heading toward Toka. The warlord was a bit surprised, but managed to raise the stick end to block. Ryo pushed his arms upward, forcing the warlord's arms to follow and he spun away with a swinging slash. But before it could connect, Toka's body vaporized and reappeared behind Ryo. Ryo blinked and Toka smashed the butt end of his axe into Ryo's chest. 

"Guuahhh!!!" 

Toka then swung up, knocking Ryo into the air. Ryo crashed into the ground and Toka leaped high up with his axe ready to render the ronin in two. Ryo quickly rolled around on the ground and avoided the strike again and again the axe ripped the ground in two. Ryo almost fell down the crevice but managed to pull himself up out of it. Looking around, he saw that Toka was gone again. Calmly, Ryo lower his blades and looked down. 

_'Now!'_

Ryo suddenly hopped up, just as Toka's axe appeared and slashed across horizontally. Ryo landed on the still held axe, spun around and made a cutting slash at Toka's head. But Toka swiftly ducked the attack and swung his axe, taking Ryo with it. Ryo was flung into the tree and skid across the ground, right back in front of the house. As Ro staggered to his feet, Toka materialized before him. 

"You put up quite a fight Ronin. If I was as weak as you, I might even feel sorry for having to kill you." 

The axe twirled and Toka struck down. But in an impressive feat, Ryo shot high up into the air and connected his blades together. 

_"Armor of Wildfire!!! Flare Up....!!!!"_

Toka suddenly vanished and reappeared on top of the house. Ryo's face widened with horror. _'If I attack while he's there, Mia and Yuli could be killed.'_

Toka's eyes narrowed with a smile, "As I said, weak!" 

His axe suddenly shimmered and glowed brightly, "Goodbye Wildfire. _Axe of Oblivion!!!!!!!!"_

Toka suddenly flung his axe at the still airborne Ryo. The weapon came with such speed that Ryo didn't see it leave his hands before he was struck heavily with a blast of power from the weapon. Inside, Mia had managed to grab her labtop and had carried Yuli back downstairs when she felt the explosion. Looking outside, she saw Ryo's scorched body fall helplessly into the trees. 

"Ryo!!!!" 

And that's when the Starlight sword, which was strapped to her back, started to glow... 

------------------------------------------------------ 

"Ryo!" 

Back in the Dynasty forest, the four remaining ronins all sensed the pain inflicted on their fallen comrade. The symbols on their head shimmered to life as proof of that. 

"He's in trouble." Kento called. "We have to help him." 

"No wait." Kayura warned. "You must stay. If Nanshi captures any of you, you could be turned as well." 

"She's right." Trowa agreed. "We have to hope that Ryo and Sehkmet can hold off." 

Speaking of hope, Trowa turned an eye to look at Quatre, only to find that he wasn't in the room. Trowa turned his head, causing the others to notice and look as well. It didn't take long to find him. 

"Quatre!" 

On the side of the house, Quatre was bent on the far wall side, clutching his heart tightly and his eyes closed tight in some unseen pain. The symbol of kitai -hope- was glowing brightly on his forehead as he muttered to himself. 

"The pain...my soul..." 

------------------------------------------------------ 

Meanwhile within the forest, Ryo staggered slowly to his feet, only to fall back onto the ground again. Again, he forced his body to rise despite the ragged pain that he was in. He was lucky he was still alive after a blow like that. The trees shivered in the distance and suddenly fell, revealing the source of his problem. 

"Such a shame. Your attack might have worked if you hadn't held back them. But then again, weakness is a sign of mortals like you, something that can be easily exploited." 

The axe twirled again as Ryo just managed to shakily bend on one knee. But besides that, the Ronin had nothing left. Toka's attack had done serious damage to him. He could barely move much less fight back now. 

Now what was I saying before? Oh yeah." His axe arose high, "Goodbye Wild..." 

Suddenly a white beam of light shot out through the forest and smashed into the axe, knocking it out of Toka's hands. Toka glared in the direction of the source and Ryo did so too. But only he was shocked by what he saw. Striding through the clearing was Mia, holding the shimmering Starlight sword in her hand. 

"Mia, get out of here!" Ryo cried. But Mia paid no attention and Ryo noticed something different. _'Her eyes...'_ He couldn't place it, but he knew it was there. Toka turned to her as she continued to advance. 

"What's this? Are you challenging me, girl?" He picked up his axe, "I was hoping to kill you after him, but since you wish to die now, then so be it." 

Mia gave no response and suddenly broke into an all-out run. Toka held his axe forward as Mia suddenly leaped high into the air. Toka swung upward, but somehow Mia flipped over the swing and landed on the ground before him. She then struck upward with the sword, but Toka managed to lower his axe in defense. Mia then twirled in a side slice and Toka blocked again. Ryo watched as Mia danced close to Toka and attacked him relentlessly. _'It just like...Kayura.'_ Mia leapt forward and stabbed forward, but Toka disappeared. Not missing a beat, Mia twirled around at the air behind her, only to connect with Toka's axe in defense. Toka's eyes blaze with anger and a beam of energy shot from his eyes. Mia raised the blade to defend, but it still flung her back into one of the trees. Mia staggered to her feet and Toka moved in on her. 

"You have spirit, girl. I can't wait to snuff it out." 

Toka rushed at her and slashed down heavily, but hit nothing. He was shocked completely and turned around to see her in the air, the Starlight sword glowing in her hand. 

"Haaaaiiiiyaaaaahhhhhh!!!!" 

A wave of energy beam flailed out of the swinging blade, all smashing down on the warlord and forcing him back. The beams tore up the forest as well and Toka was brought down to one knee. Enraged, Toka arose and looked at Mia, who had landed. 

"Imprudent whelp!!!" he roared, causing his axe to glow again. "You will die horribly for this. Axe of..." 

But now it was his turn to be surprised as Ryo suddenly jumped out of the trees behind Mia, his swords connected and ablaze once again. 

_"Armor of Wildfire!!! FLARE UP NOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

He brought the fury of the swords down full force, slamming Toka with the unbridled force of fire. Toka was engulfed by it and began to vaporize. However... 

"You may have won this time, but you haven't seen the last of me! Raaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" 

The explosion of fire shot up into the air as Sehkmet and Whiteblaze, who was holding Yuli on his back, came into the clearing of the battle. Ryo landed on the ground and bent down. The Wildfire Armor faded away as Ryo breathed heavily. The attack had used up all his reserve strength and he was beyond spent. Nevertheless, he managed to right himself up and look over at Mia, who was still and holding the Starlight Sword. Mia then blinked and looked around in confusion. 

"Ryo..." 

The woman's eyes soon lid close and she slumped onto the ground. Ryo staggered close to her and held her head. 

"Mia..."


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 10 

Mia awoke from her slumber to find that she was back in the Nether Realm once again. She lifted herself up from the cot she had been resting on and shook her head. 

"You're awake. Are you okay?" 

Looking up, she saw Cye standing overhead with a cup of tea in his hands. The ronin bent down to her as she finished clearing the cobwebs in her head. 

"What happened?" 

Cye handed her the tea and explained, "We were hoping you could tell us. When Ryo and Sehkmet returned, you and Yuli were unconscious." He indicated to the cot next to hers where Yuli was still knocked out. Mia almost reached out to him until he started snoring lightly, indicating that he was quite alright. 

Cye continued, "Ryo said that during the fight, you helped him. You fought that Dynasty creature with the Starlight sword." 

Mia blinked at this news, "I did?" Looking down beside her, she saw the mentioned weapon, glistening as it lay beside her. 

Cye gave a questioning look, "You don't remember?" 

Mia shook her head again, "I'm not sure. The last thing I remember was coming downstairs with my laptop and Ryo was fighting..." She stopped short and gasped, "Oh my...What happened to Ryo?" 

"Ryo's fine. He's in the other room with the others. He got a couple of bumps and bruises, but it's nothing he can't handle." Returning to the subject, "So after that, you have no idea what happened?" 

"Not really. Just some flashes, broken images. All that was moving pretty fast." A determined look crossed her face, "I need to find out what happened. She looked around again and found her laptop just above the sword. She picked it up and set it on her lap, "I just hope my grandfather knew something about this." She began to open her laptop when she stopped short, "Oh, I forgot. Technology doesn't work in the Nether Realm, does it?" 

"I wouldn't worry about that." Cye mentioned. "Kayura already used her staff on it. It should work fine here. 

"Then I better get to work." 

----------------------------------------------- 

"So he wants the Jewel of Life. Why?" 

The ronins, warlords and celestials were all re-gathered in the central room of the dojo. 

"What's the Jewel of Life?" Hilde was the first to ask. 

"It is the heart of all the Ronin and Warlord armors. It both draws its power from them and gives them power, making the bond between the armors whole." 

"But not the Celestials?" Trowa asked quietly. 

"Not to our knowledge, no." Sage answered, just as quietly. "But they are all still connected somehow." 

In any case, we can't waste time over it." Heero said suddenly. "Nanashi has already made the first moves against us. We should begin immediately before anything else happens." 

"You are correct, Reflections." Kayura agreed. "We should start your training immediately before Nanashi tries anything else." 

------------------------------------------------ 

"Toka. Come before me." 

In the dark world of Nanashi's domain, the battered warlord Toka knelt before the ghastly behemoth. 

"Master. I have failed you. Forgive me, please." 

He expected the booming voice of his master followed by his swift, but painful end. But none of that happened. 

"On the contrary, you have given me some vital insight." Nanashi replied. "You have proven that the Ronin Warriors are just as weak now as the Celestials. Crushing them now would be a most benefit to me." 

Relief washed through the dark warlord, followed by the pleasure of the task, "Yes master. When can I start?" 

His latter hope however, was cut down. "You won't. I have left that up to the others. You will continue your search for the other jewel at once." 

It wasn't the mission he expected, but to please his dark master he would carry it out. "Yes master. I will not fail again." 

"See that you don't, Toka. See that you don't." 

---------------------------------------------- 

_Some time later..._

Two figures warped onto an empty grassland field. It was nighttime and the moon was high in the sky, indicating that they were on Earth. Reaching the center of the field, their identities were soon revealed. Rowen and Duo. 

"We're on Earth." Duo said after seeing the moon, "Cool. I've gotta learn how to do that." 

"We'll get to that later." Rowen replied. "But first thing's first." He then took out his crystal orb, with the symbol of Inochi –Life- and clenched his fist around it. 

"Armor of Strata, Tao Inochi." 

The normal clothes tore away and were replaced with deep blue sub-armor. Duo looked on in amazement as Rowen turned to him. 

"Okay. Your turn." 

Duo looked at his own orb and shrugged, "Well, here goes nothing." His hand closed around it, "Armor of Hellfire, Tao Jitsu." 

A glow shot around him, surprising the gundam pilot and his clothes were soon replaced sub-armor. Only his were pitch black, with the same white outlining as Rowen. 

"Whoa, now this is way beyond cool." 

Rowen gave a brief smile, "That's just the beginning. Each armor derives its power from some element or another. I don't know what yours is, but if the name is any indication, it would probably be fire." 

Duo continued to flex the armor around, feeling the strength of it until his attention was taken away by an even brighter glow. Duo turned to see Rowen waving his hands. 

_"Armor of Strata!!! Tao Inochi!!!!!!"_

His hands came together and a blast of energy shot out. Bands of cloth circled around him and into the air until they splintered off into falling fragments of light. The pieces clung onto the sub-armor and the true armor came to form. If the calling of the sub-armor surprised Duo, he was awe-struck by the summoning of the armor's true form. Rowen was now clad in his blue armor and helmet. His hand held his golden bow, ready for arrows to cross is strings. 

This is the armor of Strata. Its powers come from the skies, air, even the stars." He lifted his bow, "Each armor also comes with its own weapons. You have to find out that power and use its weapons. Only then can you become one with it." 

Duo began to shake the surprise away and he looked at his hands again, "So I have my own armor and weapons. This will be..." 

Duo suddenly stopped when he felt a presence loom in. Rowen felt it as well and looked upward. The sky began to blacken and clouds covered over the moon. A mist fell over them quickly and Dynasty soldiers materialized around them. 

"I don't suppose they would want to sit down and talk about this." Duo suggested jokingly. 

Rowen however, wasn't laughing, "No, I really don't think so." 

A larger form soon came out of the mist and stood before the soldiers. Rowen clenched his bow tight while Duo gasped in recognition. 

"Zechs? Aw, man." 

The icy warrior raised his saber up before his chest, letting the cold mist shimmer off of it. 

"A Celestial and a Ronin. Nanashi will be pleased, after I have your heads." 

Rowen quickly brought up an arrow and leapt high over their heads. Arrow set, Rowen let it fly at the dark celestial, but Zechs simply jumped away and landed in a clearing nearby. 

"I'll handle him." Rowen called to Duo. "You'll have to handle rest." 

"The rest?" Duo soon saw what he meant. The soldiers around him began to close in on him. He didn't forget what had happened the last time he met these guys. Guns had no effect, so what could he do? Fight them with his bare hands? Looking at his armored hands, he suddenly realized, _'Hey. Why not?'_ His hands closed into fist and he settled into a fighting stance. 

"Come on, boys. The angel of death needs a workout." 

--------------------------------- 

Lady Une trudged tiredly through the hall of her home. True, her posture and stride didn't seem different than usual. But she was tired regardless. Reports came in to her, indicating a possible fight in one of the colonies. What made it concerning was that it was in the hanger where Sally and Wufei were supposed to lift off in search for Noin and Zechs. Those two had now vanished without a trace. Even stranger was that the area was covered with ice, reaching the outside of the colony. Another report told her of a fire that had mysteriously appeared in the L3 colony, around the residential area, particularly the circus. But those two were nothing compared to her final report. Relena had gone missing. This wasn't the first time this had happened and chances are it wouldn't be the last. But like everything else, she had disappeared mysteriously as well. All of her agents were on the case, but they had no leads. She had hoped that the gundam pilots would probably be on the case. It was the only hope she had right now. 

_'I have to get some rest.'_

Heading to her room, she stopped shortly when she saw a light was on in her library study. _'Again?'_ Une moved toward the study and cracked the door open to find a little girl sitting on the couch reading a book. A pair of crutches was laid nearby. The girl seemed to stop in her reading and turned to Lady Une, who smiled lightly at her. 

"Couldn't sleep again?" 

She shook her head, "No." The girl soon cocked her head to the side, "Are you okay?" 

Une sighed, "No. It's been a long day and it will be even longer tomorrow." 

The girl brushed a lock of her orange hair, "You better get some sleep then." 

Une was in no position to disagree, but she asked, "Are you sure you're going to be all right up by yourself?" 

The girl nodded, "I'll be fine. You should get some rest." 

Une gave a single nod and began to back away, "You too, young lady. Goodnight, Mariemaia." 

"Goodnight, Ms. Une." 

Lady Une walked away, leaving Mariemaia to her reading again. She hadn't been able to get any decent sleep for almost three days now. Her sleep was usually haunted by strange dreams. Not nightmares, but they were too intense for her to sleep through for long. Strange images, weird visions. Mariemaia stopped reading again briefly and sighed to herself. Her hand reached up into her nightgown and she held a necklace in her hand. It was a thin string with a strangely curved jewel on the end. 

_The Jewel of Light..._


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 11 

Twwpppppp!!! Twwpppppp!!! Twwpppppp!!! Twwpppppp!!! 

The arrows of Rowen flew everywhere causing the icy warrior to back away every step. But despite this aggressive offensive, Rowen was having difficulty maintaining a decent lock on him. Zechs soon found an opening within the arrow shower and leaped at the Ronin, saber breathing cold mist as he came. Rowen raised the blow and blocked the strike, but as a result the bow was flash-frozen partly. In surprise, Rowen swatted back and Zechs backed away. Rowen quickly loaded another arrow and shot it, but Zechs dodged it and slashed out. Rowen leaped high and fired another salvo, but instead of dodging them, Zechs slashed each and every one. The arrows all hit the ground in pieces. Rowen landed back on the ground, ducked low and shot at Zechs' foot. This time, Zechs had to jump, but he jumped forward in attack. Rowen rolled away just as the saber struck the ground, freezing it as well. Rowen stood up and so did Zechs, albeit slowly. Rowen frowned slightly as Zechs glared at him. 

_'And I thought fighting the Warlords was tough.'_

Meanwhile, Duo wasn't doing too badly against the Dynasty soldiers. It took him a while to catch up, but lucky his training as a gundam pilot included some hand-to-hand fighting. That and his upbringing on the streets made him tough in a fight. But even so, he never expected to fight like this. He could feel the strength of the armor, although slight and it helped out. A couple of the soldiers tossed their spears at him, but Duo stepped aside and jumped up into the air. With a swift move, he punched one of the soldiers in the face. The soldier staggered back and Duo charged in and landed both feet on the soldier, flooring him while backflipping into the air and double kicking a soldier that was coming up behind him. More spears flew through the air and Duo was forced to retreat. Despite his newfound strength, he was still horribly outnumbered. Duo was suddenly stopped in his tracks when a storm of spears struck the ground and cornered him. Looking back, he saw another set of spears dropping down in front of him. He was trapped. 

"Well this sucks!" 

Duo grabbed one of the spears and broke down the others. But for some strange reason, the spear didn't feel right in his hands. So he hurled it at an incoming soldier and it impaled him. Duo didn't understand the strange sensation, but he would reflex on it later. With a cry, he charged at the soldiers. The soulless armors slashed out with their naginatas, but Duo slid right under and ended up behind them. Another cry and Duo kicked one in the side, causing it to stagger of to the side. Duo then clenched his fist to strike it down, but a chain grabbed hold of his arm and held it back. Looking over, Duo saw that the chain had come from one of the soldiers holding a kusari-gama with chain. Duo pulled briefly, but more chains caught him on the other arm and one of his legs. Duo pulled, but with the chains all holding him in different directions, he was unable to move. 

"Get off of me!" 

Meanwhile, Rowen was still battling with Zechs and the two warriors seemed to be locked in a stalemate. Rowen breathed heavily as he tried to regain some of his energy when Zechs attacked again. Zechs struck forward and Rowen blocked it again. But as before, the sword strike caused Rowen's bow to freeze totally this time. Rowen blinked in surprise, but he pushed forward and hit Zechs on the side of his head, stunning him. Zechs growled and slashed blindly, but Rowen was already airborne and his set was set, ready to strike Zechs this time. 

"Graaahhh!!!!" 

Rowen turned his head around to see Duo wrapped in chains and helpless to move. The soldiers were moving in to finish him as well. Rowen then looked back down. Zechs was beginning to recover. If he didn't hit him now, then Zechs might overpower him. But if he did, then Duo might be killed. 

_-Life-_

The symbol of Inochi -Life- glowed on Rowen's forehead as he reversed his body in the air and aimed at the soldiers holding Duo captive. The arrow he held began to shimmer and glow at the point as Rowen called forth his most powerful attack. 

_"Armor of Strata!!! Arrow Shock Wave!!!!!"_

Blue energy soon flooded around the arrow, causing it to glow brightly. He then released it, creating a massive bolt of power, which flew straight at the soldiers and caused them to be vaporized within. The arrow then stabbed the ground and another blast of energy shot out as a result, eliminating any in front of it. Duo was released from the chains and he fell to the ground hurt, but alright. With that done, Rowen quickly returned his attention to Zechs, but the icy warrior was gone. 

"He left? I wish it was that easy." 

True to his words, Zechs had reappeared right behind Rowen. Rowen turned only to see Zechs raise his saber in the air, summoning forth his own power. 

_"Armor of Arctic!!! Winter's Heart!!!!!"_

Zechs point the saber at Rowen and a sudden massive burst of sheer cold slammed into the Ronin. Rowen was completely caught off-guard as the blast flash froze him instantly. The energy tore up the ground and turned everything into shards of ice. The Dynasty soldiers that were unfortunate to be close were frozen in ice upon contact. But Zechs was more pleased by his success. Buried deep within the ice was Rowen, frozen solid with a look of shock on his face. Zechs moved over to the frozen Rowen and raised his sword to finish him off. 

"Don't even try it." 

Duo rushed across the ice and confronted the dark Celestial. Zechs halted in his movement and gazed at Duo with a look of indifference. 

"It doesn't matter to me which of you dies first, but if that is your desire." 

Zechs suddenly lashed back, attacking Duo with a chilly windstorm blast. Duo slid back and flipped to his feet as Zechs calmly approached him. Duo narrowed his eyes. _'Great. Now what, Maxwell? I'm no match for him like this.'_ Nevertheless, Duo charged in on Zechs in an attempt to hit him in a shoulder ram. The attack hit, but Zechs was barely fazed and swatted Duo away. Duo hit the icy ground once more and slid quite a distance. Zechs watched him slide away and began to walk toward him, but then he stopped and returned his attention to Rowen. Dismissing Duo altogether, he walked back over to his frozen victim, ready to finish him off. Duo arose rubbing his head and saw what he was doing. _'He's going back? No!'_ Thoughts of Rowen's act came into his head as Duo strangely saw what Rowen had done for him. He had chosen to save his life over defeating Zechs. And Duo had to repay his kindness, even if it meant being the angel of death once again. 

_-Kindness-_

The symbol of Jitsu -Kindness- flashed on Duo forehead as he charged at Zechs. Zechs stopped in his advance and turned to Duo once again, lashing out with another cold front. But Duo leaped up into the air and clenched his fists together, mimicking the actions Rowen used. 

_"Armor of Hellfire!!! Tao Jitsu!!!!!!"_

A blast of energy shot out of his hands and bands of cloth circled around him. They shot off into the air and splintered off into falling fragments of light. The pieces clung onto the sub-armor and the true armor came to form. When Duo landed, he had completely changed in a midnight black armor and helmet, with one shoulder armor stretching out longer than the other. Duo unconsciously reached into his back and a long pole unfolded and a long blade shot out, forming a razor-sharp scythe. Zechs twirled his sword in preparation to fight, but Duo had no intention of fighting. 

He was going to finish it. 

_"Armor of Hellfire!!! Demon Gate!!!!!!"_

He reared his arm back, twirling the scythe rapidly. Waves of heat quickly came up and Duo faced the twirling weapon forward. The rapid spinning of the scythe created a single circle and the blade glowed in red, making the circle fiery colored. The circle suddenly grew before Zechs and the heat grew immensely. Then with another cry from Duo, the circle burst forward with a torrent of dark flames and fires, engulfing Zechs and everything in its path. 

"GUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Zechs was blown away by the power and it was only by sheer luck that he was able to pull himself out before he was incinerated. However, despite that, he was badly injured with burn marks covering his armor and even what shows of his face. Duo's attack ceased and the black Celestial stood in wait, ready to fight despite using up all his energy. However, that fight would have to wait because Zechs suddenly created a cold mist around himself and vanished away. Duo sighed just as well and bent down to catch his breath. He would have stayed there for a long while if not for the coughing he had heard. 

"Hey...Rowen." 

Rowen staggered in what used to be ice and now was water. Duo hadn't thought that the heat from his attack would melt the ice, but he was glad all the same. He staggered over to Rowen and helped him to his feet. Rowen was still shivering, but he was alright. 

"Hey, you did it." Rowen commented. 

"Don't mention it." Duo smiled. "I was just repaying the favor. Now let's get out of here before someone else comes." 

Rowen nodded and smiled back, "Sound like a good idea. Let's go." 


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Inda- (_Xardion_) I'm working up to it. Don't worry 

Chap. 12 

_Earth..._

Trowa and Sage materialized beside a quiet waterfall plain in the middle of a small forest. Trowa gave a glance around to familiarize himself while Sage stood still. 

"Don't worry. I come here to train myself. It helps me to find clarity and focus." He remained silent for a moment, seemingly taking in the scenery. "You possess the trait of Kaichou -Harmony-. I believe this will be the best place for it." 

Trowa looked around once more, sensing the calmness and peace of the woodland. His initial training warned him of the wild animals within, but he wasn't afraid. He never was. He understood the balance between man and beast. The harmony... 

"Let begin." Sage stated, turning to Trowa with his armor orb in hand. 

"Armor of Halo, Tao Chi." 

The usual clothes around the young man were vaporized and replaced with forest green sub-armor. Trowa watched the display in silence, although that was his way of being impressed. 

"Call for the power of your armor and summon it through your virtue." 

Trowa looked at his orb and held it in his palm. Gripping it, he did as he was told. "Armor of Tempest, Tao Kaichou." 

A faint glow shimmer around the silent gundam pilot and he held his arms out as the sub-armor formed around him. Trowa was now encased with a sub-armor of similar color to Sage's, but deeper and darker. 

".......!" 

Sage strode beside him, "What you feel is only a portion of the power of your armor. It's best that you get used to this before summoning the full of your armor." Sage continued to walk on, looking into the forest. Turning back to Trowa, he gave a light smile. 

"Time to go for a test ride." 

Trowa's face almost consorted to confusion as Sage dashed away and suddenly shot up onto the branch of one of the trees. 

"Come on." 

Trowa was a little baffled by this. He knew about high leaps and such, both from his work in the circus and his zero-gravity training. But for some reason, he couldn't get his mind around what he just saw. The tree had to have been at least 20 feet high, straight up. To leap up like that in one bound was extraordinary. Looking at his armor briefly, he ran forward and did the same, jumping up to the neighboring branch. A soon as he did, Sage jumped over to the next branch without any effort at all. 

"Follow me." 

Trowa smiled within. Now this was something he knew. As Sage went on ahead, Trowa jumped off the first branch and rebounded into the next, propelling himself into the air through the upper branches. Sage continued on, taking a look back to see where Trowa was, only to not see him behind him, but in front. Sage watched him go with extreme elegance and precision. 

"I think we can move on." Sage grinned. 

----------------------- 

_Nether Realm..._

"Have you found anything yet, Mia?" 

Mia sat in a chair near one of the window, busy on her computer as she conducted her research. Ryo had walked in on her, wincing lightly, but she had seen Ryo in enough battles to know that he was trying to hide the bulk of his pain. But she decided not to bring that up yet and answered his question. 

"Not quite. But I have discovered something else, about the Celestials." Her eyes returned to the computer screen. "When the Celestial armors were created, their heart was forged as well. This heart binds the armors together, the same way the Jewel of Life binds your armors." 

Ryo blinked, "Are you saying there's another jewel?" 

"I believe so." Pressing enter, the screen flickered, showing a diagram of a jewel-like object. "It's called the Jewel of Light. After the Celestials were forged, this heartstone fell to Earth and was sealed in one place for a time until a man discovered its location and found the jewel. Since then, it is said that it went down his family line, sort of like a family treasure." 

"What family?" 

"Let's see." Mia pressed a couple of more keys. "My grandfather had some guesses, but he was certain that it exists in the Khusrenada family." 

"Khusrenada? Are you serious?" 

Even the ronins were aware of the former leader of OZ and the World Nation and his death in the final battle of the Eve Wars. 

"Mmhm. This is an early picture of Trieze Khusrenada." The picture of a younger Trieze came up. In his arms, he held a glass box, which contained a simple necklace with curved jewel in it. "And that..." Mia pointed. "...Is the Jewel of Light." 

Mia noticed the brief silence and curved an eye up to see Ryo panting lightly to himself. _'He's still hurt.'_ Ryo swallowed and refocused his attention, "Does that mean it's gone for good?" 

"Not quite." Another click and the picture was replaced with the image of a little girl. 

"Mariemaia Khusrenada. She was the girl that almost started another war while conquering the Earth Sphere. If anyone has it, it would be her." 

"Well, we'll have to find her then." Ryo lifted himself up, but was unable to hide the pain of doing so. Nevertheless, he continued, "If what you say is true, then Nanashi will be looking for it as well." 

Mia had seen enough. She grabbed hold of Ryo arm, preventing him from leaving. "No, Ryo. You need rest. You still haven't recovered fully from your battle." 

Ryo frowned as he looked at her, "But we can't let the Dynasty get the jewel." 

"I know that. But not you. If you are attacked, you won't have the strength to fight back. You could be hurt even more so than before. Maybe even worse." _'Please don't push yourself, Ryo.'_

Ryo looked away for a moment. Normally, he would have pulled away and insisted that he go on in search for it. But Mia's grip was enough to hold him, showing that he was indeed too weak to move away. That and the fact that he never noticed how...soft her hands were. Giving a sigh, he relaxed, "Alright. I'll ask Cye then. He and one of the others can probably get it." 

Mia's grip loosed, but she didn't let go fully, "Now you need to get your rest. You need it." 

Releasing another sigh, Ryo obeyed and moved to a cot in the corner of the room. Mia watched him lie down (with some effort) in the bed and shut his eyes. Her eyes lowered somewhat and she whispered. 

"Sleep well, Ryo." 

----------------------- 

The two young men continued their dance among the treetops, jumping and spinning through the woods of the forest without making any noise. After a short while, Sage signaled to Trowa and the two leaped down from the trees and softly onto the ground to face a wide-open clearing. The forest's end. 

"I don't want to damage the woods if I can help it." Sage commented after seeing Trowa quick glance. "The next lesson gets hectic. But I'm guessing you gundam pilots are used to that sort of thing." 

"Quite true." Trowa answered. 

Sage turned around, glad that he was finally able to get the silent guy to speak. He took a few steps out into the open and turned back to Trowa. 

"Good, because now is the time to learn about that armor of your." Sage clenched his fists together. _"Armor of Halo!!! Tao Chi!!!!!!!"_

As usual with the armors, a burst of light shot out of his fists and encircled him with looms of cloth. The cloth stretched up into the sky and shattered into light fragments, like cherry blossom leaves. The fragments attached themselves to the sub-armor and the true armor formed on Sage. The Armor of Halo... 

"........." 

Sage simply stared over at Trowa and Trowa nodded, understanding that Sage was now waiting for him to do the same. Trowa widened his arms out and began the summoning. 

_"Armor of Tempest!!! Tao Kaichou!!!!!!"_

Like Sage, a burst of light blasted out of his fists and looms of cloth stretched into the sky. The cloth shattered and attached onto the sub-armor, bringing the armor into form. It was a deep blue-green armor with shoulder armor that curved upward. Also included was a holster on the back, holding a quarterstaff of medium length. Sage nodded in approval and brought forth his no-datchi blade, holding it in stance. Trowa followed suit, reaching back and unhinging his own weapon. It didn't take a genius to know that this step of training would involve more physical contact. 

"Defend yourself!" 

The Ronin charged at Trowa shortly and gave a big slash across the midsection. But Trowa was no stranger to combat and brought his staff forward to block. The two remained locked for a time and then Sage stepped back, giving Trowa an opening. The Celestial whirled his staff and shot one end of the staff forward, hitting the elongated sword. Then with the other end, he shot the other end toward Sage's head. But Sage ducked the punishing blow, whirled around and brought the no-datchi in a wide arc slash. Trowa quickly jumped up into the air to dodge the attack and landed on the ground some feet away. Sage straightened himself and returned to his previous stance. 

_'He has skill...I guess you can expect that from someone who used to pilot a gundam.'_

----------------------- 

_Earth..._

Two forms materialized on top of a building rooftop. Cye and Sehkmet looked down over the roof and into the city below. 

"So where do we find this girl?" Sehkmet questioned. 

Cye came back from the edge, "Before we left, Heero informed me that she was staying with the Preventer commander, Lady Une. That would be a good place to start." 

The warlord nodded and the two made their way off the roof. Unknown to the two of them, another creature was also searching for the jewel, and watching them in the process. 

_'That's right you fools. Lead me to the treasure you seek. It will cost you dearly, hehehehe.'_

----------------------- 

The spar between Sage of Halo and Trowa of Tempest continued. The two warriors raved across the forest-side in a dramatic display of skill and ability, clearly showing that this was no ordinary spar. Trowa went on the offensive and jumped toward Sage, staff twirling above as he brought it down. Sage jumped back and avoided the blow, which shattered the ground and sent dirt flying everywhere. Once safe, Sage charged back, no-dachi reared for attack. Trowa saw his approach and brought his staff up to defend, but the strength of Sage's attack hurled him back, slamming into one of the nearby trees. Sage stopped for a moment, realizing that this spar could be going a little too far. 

"Trowa?" 

Suddenly, Trowa flipped off the ground onto his palms. He then propelled himself forward, kicking Sage with both feet and hurling him back. Sage flew through the air and spun around in order to roll safely and when he arose, he saw Trowa high in the air, quarterstaff twirling once again. But this time, Sage felt a massive buildup of energy and the clouds darkened and Trowa began to glow in an aura of energy. 

_'His element...is revealing itself. Oh, no!'_

Knowing what was about to occur, Sage quickly raised his sword high into the air, letting the power of his armor fill him. At the same time, Trowa began to descend on Sage, building up more power and practically burning with energy. Bolts of lightning struck the two as they approached contact. 

_"Armor of Tempest!!! Thunder Storm!!!!!"_

The staff came down with the force of a thousand lightnings. But Sage was no stranger to such power as he waved his arms and sword. 

The two lightnings collided in a flash and the resulting explosion could be heard, seen and felt for miles around. The brilliant continued to emit from the area until it began to die down, leaving a cleared out crater in its wake and two armored warriors standing on opposite sides of it. 

"Spirit." Sage replied after a period of silence. "Your armor drew upon the spirit of your own being in that attack. That's its element." 

Trowa simply remained silent, knowing that it was true. The energy he called forth was from his own spirit and strength. That was how he called the attack forth, because he had been so focused in the fighting that it allowed him to tap into his true power. Trowa placed the staff on his back and both Ronin and Celestial dispersed their armors and returned to their normal clothes. 

"We should head back for now." 

"Agreed." 

As they walked back into the forest, Sage's thoughts continued to dwell on the attack Trowa used on him. The raw power of it was extraordinary. So much so that it matched his own powers evenly. Trowa had more to learn, but it was safe to say that he was on the right track. 

_'We may just win this after all.'_


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 12

_Une Estate_

The gates of the small mansion opened up and a golden limousine pulled into the driveway. After it wheeled in an parked in front, the back door opened and a young woman stepped out. She had crystal blue eyes, forked eyebrows and extremely long blond hair. With a secret smile, she walked up to the mansion and was invited inside. Striding in, she looked over to the reading area of the house and walked there, where she found Mariemaia on the couch reading. With a now open smile, she greeted the young girl.

"How is my niece today?"

Mariemaia looked up from her reading and smiled, " Ms. Catalona. Nice to see you again."

Dorothy held her smile and sat beside her, " Now what have I told you about formalities and to drop them with me. Just Dorothy, okay?"

"Okay...Dorothy."

Ever since the conflict some time ago, Dorothy had been busy helping out with Relena on Romefeller' s behalf. When she wasn' t working, she would often visit Mariemaia and talk with her young but intelligent niece.

"What are you working on?"

"Not much." She looked down at the book for a moment, "I' m just reading a bit." Stop stopped briefly and then went on, "Ms. Une has been having problems I hear."

Dorothy nodded, knowing what she was talking about. The two Preventers are still missing, not to mention the other two who disappeared near Mars. Plus the strange events that have been occurring in places. Massive fires, mysterious lightnings, shards of ice...

"Goes with the territory." Dorothy answered. " But it' s nothing she can' t handle."

Mariemaia nodded and then asked, " Have you seen Ms. Relena lately?"

Dorothy became silent for a moment before answering, " No. I haven' t really... Huh?"

Dorothy was stopped when she felt a cool breeze flow through the room. 'Was the window open before?' She turned and saw the window was indeed open, but it was strangely darkened outside. A flow of mist slithered into the house and engulfed the floor. Dorothy stood up while Mariemaia straightened up from her place. A lightning flash struck the outside of the window, momentarily blinding the two and when they looked, there in its place was a massive armored figure. He held an equally massive ax in his right hand and his eyes shimmered as he looked at the girls, most importantly Mariemaia.

"Ah, the bearer of the Jewel of Light." he confirmed. He then ordered, "Give me the Jewel."

Mariemaia stood up and backed away in fear. Dorothy however did no such thing as she looked toward the wall and grabbed the rapier that hung on the mantle. Holding it in stance toward the creature, she shot back, "What are you? Who are you to come here?"

But the menacing figure chuckled, "Hahaha! You think you can stand against me, girl?"

Gripping his ax tightly, he whipped it across the air in front, creating a windblast that knocked Dorothy back and causing her body to smash against the wall.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

"Ms. Dorothy!" Mariemaia' s fear was quickly dispelled as she ran over to Dorothy' s unconscious body. As she shook her, the dark creature stepped inside and shadowed over her.

"And now..."

"Hold it right there, Toka."

A low growl emitted from the dark creature as he turned to face the newcomers. Standing behind him was Cye and Dais, both in their sub-armors.

"The Ronins." He lifted his axe to them. "I' ve had about all I can stand from you maggots."

"The feeling is mutual." Cye replied as they attacked.

--------------------

_Beachside, Earth_

The setting sun glistened lightly on the lone beach as two bubble of light glimmered into view. Actually, one light and one dark. The bubbles grew and burst, revealing Wufei and Kale, both in their sub-armors. The scenery was beautiful, but neither person looked away, keeping their gazes on one another with all seriousness. Wufei was there to train; sightseeing could wait. Kale was there to teach; he didn' t have time to sightsee.

"Alright. You already know how to activate the armor. Let see how well you adapt to using it."

Wufei nodded. In truth, he wouldn' t have it any other way. Kale placed his fists together and summoned forth his armor.

**_ "Tao Tei!"_**

The dark crimson armor encased him and Kale stood tall before the gundam pilot. But Wufei wasn' t the least bit intimidated by the warlord of darkness and stood in stance.

**_ "Armor of Oceania! Tao Meiyou!!!"_**

As with Kale, the armor cloth swirled around and above him, shattering into fragments and attaching to his sub-armor for the complete armor of Oceania. It was a dark almost black blue armor with a sphere in the chest area. Wufei stood in his fighting stance, but Kale shook his head.

"You have a weapon, Oceania. Use it."

Wufei looked on his side and found a straight sheath attached to his side with a sword in it. Pulling out the weapon, he found that is was a rapier sword, well designed and decorated. But Wufei grimaced. Despite his training, he wasn' t used to such a weapon. It was lighter and more focused on precision as opposed to his usual sword. But that was the point of the training, right? To learn.

"Let' s go."

Kale drew his own weapon, the no-datchi.

"As you wish."

---------------------

_Nether Realm_

"Uh..."

Sally Po moaned softly as she began to regain consciousness. Her vision cleared enough to see a wooden ceiling above her. Her body was resting on a low cot on the floor. She began to rise, but felt a flash of pain rip through her body and she moaned again.

"Stay still." a soft voice called out. "Your injuries still need healing and your strength has yet to return."

Sally turned her head slightly as a female figure moved toward her. "Where...?"

"That...is a long story." the woman answered. "Sufficient to say, you' re safe now."

"Safe...?" She began to wrack her brain and she soon remembered what happened. The attack by Zechs and her being struck by the aftermath of his icy attack. "Oh yeah. Where are the others? And who are you?"

"My name is Mia. Mia Koji."

"Sally Po." she greeted back. "Now please tell me what' s going on."

Mia smiled, "As I said before, it' s a long story."

"I' m listening."

-------------------------

_Une Estate_

** KABOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!**

Dais and Cye leaped away from the energy attack unleashed by Toka and his weapon. The two had jumped out into the far side of the mansion backyard and Toka followed, materializing in front of them.

"You can not save her. You can' t even save yourselves now."

Dais grinned, "I believe it is the other way around."

"Ha! You think you can best me? Insolent fools."

Dais had heard enough and he brought his fists forward, "Tao Nin!"

Cye followed suit as well as he called forth his own armor, "Armor of Torrent! Tao Shin!!!"

The two armors encased their separate hosts and the two stood ready against the armored creature. But Toka was not impressed by their display and waved his axe again. The two warriors dodged aside from the attack and Dais counterattacked with his chin-lin-tao, which six blades stretched out in a strike. Toka pulled his arm and ax back in defense and the six blades struck and locked on. At the same time, Cye charged in with his yari spear and hammered down on Toka, Toka had no choice, but to take the attack. But it didn' t phaze him much and he merely stepped back.

"Is this all you have me?"

Toka suddenly yanked his axe back and up, pull Dais along with it. At the same time, with his weapon in his control again, he swung it at Cye. But the ronin of water managed to duck the slash. At the same time, the warlord of illusion, who was still flying through the air, whipped out his nunchuku and struck out repeatedly at Toka' s head. Toka' s face was battered in and as he staggered backward once again, Cye leveled his yari and rammed it right into Toka' s chest.

"Gahhhh! Infidels!!!"

Driven by his rage and anger, Toka swung in a huge wide arc across, creating and wave of energy that knocked them off their feet and onto the floor. The two of them rolled in safe recovery, but Toka wasn' t going to let them try anything else. Raising his axe high, he summoned his full force of power. **_"Axe of Oblivion!!!!"_**

With a mighty swing, he launched his weapon at the two warriors. The axe struck the ground before them, causing everything in front of them to explode. Dais and Cye were hurled into the air by the blast and they both crashed through the other side of the brick wall. Toka materialized over the fallen two and retrieved his axe.

"No one will defy the will of Nanashi!"

-------------------

Unlike the earlier ronins, who eased their attacks, Kale came in full force, pushing Wufei to utilize his armor. Much to his pleasure, Wufei returned the favor, attacking just as relentlessly and with as much force as he could muster. But Kale still had more experience and while Wufei' s attacks were strong, he knew how to deal with them. Not to mention the fact that Wufei was still trying to get a handle on the rapier.

_ 'Damnable weapon'_ he cursed mentally. He was beginning to wonder how Trieze could use such a weapon, not to mention beat him with it. Perhaps that was what was holding him back. The similarity in weapons reminded him of his defeat at the hands of Trieze. He had thought he put that memory to rest. Perhaps it wasn' t as far gone as he thought.

_ 'Stop this. Trieze is dead. Let him rest.'_

Nodding to himself, Wufei leveled the blade before himself and then closed his eyes, while Kale came charging at him. Wufei' s eyes flashed open and the rapier blade slashed out, connecting with Kale' s own sword a foot away from his face. The two warriors held the lock for some time until Wufei lessened his hold and shot at Kale with a kick. Kale jumped out of the way and the kick hit air. However, Wufei wheeled around and jumped as well. When Kale landed, Wufei was in the air just above him, with another kick on the way. Kale stepped back, allowing the kick to graze his chest hard, but not enough to make him fall onto the sand. Kale retaliated with a blow with his claw gauntlet. Wufei was knocked by the attack and fell into the water, only to roll backward and flip back on his feet with a splash. Kale then rushed into the water as well and gave a wide arch slash across Wufei' s chest. Wufei blocked it, but the force of the blow was enough to knock him back further. But Wufei didn' t give up and used the momentum of the fall to twist around and slash back, catching Kale off guard and slashing across his chest. Kale staggered back and clenched his chest, obviously hurt from the blow.

"Now you' re getting the hang of it, Celestial." Kale crackled. He then raised his sword, immediately creating a swirl of darkness around them. Black lightning crackled around him and converged on the no-datchi blade.

"Now for the final test! **_Black Lightning Flash!!!!!"_**

Kale brought the no-datchi to his side, causing the black lightning to strike out and everywhere into the water. Wufei' s eyes widened in surprise as he brought up the rapier defensively, but that did nothing to protect him from the lightning storm created by the warlord of darkness. Wufei was blasted into the water and disappeared underneath. Kale ended the attack and looked on, waiting to see if the fallen warrior would come out from under the waves. Wufei grimaced in pain, but he forced himself to rise from the waves. Which was strange. Even Wufei knew the limits his body could take, and he was certain that the lightning storm had exceeded them. Plus, he wasn' t drowning in the water. He didn' t even notice at first that he was breathing under water. When his head broke out of the surface, his mask was set over his face and the strain of pain that he felt fled his body. _'But why?'_ He looked at his hand only to let go of dripping water. _'Water...Of course.'_ His was the armor of Oceania, so it was been only natural that his power derived from water. So much energy he felt that it began to flood his system.

**_ "Armor of Oceania...!!!"_**

His arms began to automatically move in front of himself, with the sword in front and the blade in his palm. The water around him began to swirl and wave into the air, eventually coming back around him in a bubble. As this continued, the waves began to tremble at his unconscious command, shaking the ground beneath. Kale watched from the distance as Wufei began to grow in strength, re-energizing his blade with darkness once again.

_ 'All right Celestial. Show me what you' re really made of.'_

**_ "Tsunami Blast!!!!"_**

Wufei let out the battle cry and slashed the surrounding bubble, which resulted in a single gigantic wave of energized water that sped full speed at the dark warlord. Kale gasped in surprise at the speed and wasn' t able to summon his attack to counter, resulting in him taking the full force of the blast. After it hit, a tidal wave of water burst up into the air in a spectacular finish. Wufei was stunned by what he had caused, but that soon blurred away as he felt his weakened body take hold of him and he fell into the water. Kale meanwhile had been knocked silly by the attack, but managed to rise up anyway. The pain in his body was staggering, but it didn' t matter. He had succeeded in what he wanted to do. He drove Wufei into the water purposely in order for him to experience the full power of his armor. Though he didn' t expect it to come as fast as it did, the result was still the same. Wufei now knew the full power of the armor of Oceania and its source. That knowledge will help him survive in the battles to come. As he looked at Wufei floating on the waters, he allowed a small grin.

"You' re a true warrior, Chang Wufei."

-------------------------

The rocking explosion that rattled through her home shook Lady Une. When she returned, she found Dorothy unconscious on the ground with Mariemaia next to her. Une moved over to the two while she sent a few Preventer officers to check out the sounds of fighting that were coming from the back.

"Mariemaia, what happened?"

Before Mariemaia could answer, screams came from the back and the bodies of the two officers flew in and hit the wall. Lady Une stood up, gun in hand as Toka slowly strode in, his crimson eyes burned at the sight of Lady Une.

"Not another maggot."

Lady Une turned to Mariemaia, "Get out of here now!"

Marieamaia nodded and went for the door, but Toka materialized in front of her, causing her to slip on the floor.

"You' re mine."

Gunfire rang out suddenly at Toka, causing him to halt his advance. The bullets had no effect on him though as Lady Une quickly moved to Mariemaia and grabbed her arm. Yanking her up, they quickly went for the back exit, only to be cut off again by the giant axe of Toka. Une turned back to shoot again, but Toka slapped the gun out of her hand, causing it to skitter across the floor. Une herself was knocked back and Mariemaia along with her. Toka reached down to Mariemaia again, only to pull his hand back in pain.

"Guaahh! What?"

"Don' t touch her!"

Une was covering over her Mariemaia with her arm while glaring at Toka. An energy field was covering over both women protectively, with Lady Une' s hair flowing upward in the air. Toka called back his axe and slashed out, but the field held and shocked Toka enough for his axe to fly away.

"What is this?!"

_** "Toka, return at once."**_

Toka' s head shot up, " But master, the jewel is in my grasp."

_** "No. As long as the guardian is there, you can' t touch it or the girl. Return now."**_

Toka growled fiercely. Just then Cye and Dais had entered in to continue the fight. Toka looked over at them and then back at Lady Une, who was standing up with her arms outstretched and standing in front of Mariemaia protectively. He had failed again.

"You will all suffer for this!"

Toka faded away and disappeared, bringing the mist and the darkness with him and returning everything to the way it was before. The two warriors came in as the energy field surrounding Lady Une and Mariemaia vanished. Mariemaia looked at her guardian in surprise and Lady Une lower her arms shortly before bending to the ground. The young girl moved over to her and bent next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Lady Une, gasping for air, answered in light gasps, " I...don' t know."


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: See previous chapters Chap. 13 

"You expect us to believe that?"

It has been an hour after Toka's attack. Lady Une had called in for extra officers for security. Dorothy had revived, but not without a mild headache and Cye and Dais were in the library. When the time came, the Cye explained what they could to the three of them. Needless to say, their story was a bit far-fetched for them.

"How else would you explain what has happened here?" Dais added in. Seeing that that wouldn't help, he went on to say, "The point is that the girl is in danger. Nanashi will want her to obtain the Jewel and will do whatever he can to do it."

"Then what do you suggest?" Une questioned

"She will have to come to the Dynasty with us." Cye suggested. "At least there, we can protect her."

"No." she replied almost immediately. "I can not simply let you take her. I hardly know the two of you. Even if you came to save our lives, it isn't enough for you to take her with you. And I can't simply leave."

That was true. As the Preventor commander, she couldn't possible leave now. There were too many things to handle right now. But she knew she couldn't protect her in Preventor HQ. Toka was something she didn't understand or stop. She didn't even know why Toka left in the first place. For the first time in a long while, Lady Une was at a loss.

"I'll watch over her."

The comment came from Dorothy, who had been sitting quietly and taking in the information. Everyone turned to her and Mariemaia blinked.

"Miss Dorothy?"

Dorothy leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. "This whole situation has gotten my interest and I would like to see more." Her eyes then opened and glanced from Mariemaia to Une. "Besides, it's the best thing for her now to get protection, isn't it?"

Lady Une looked down, contemplating the idea. Her eyes fell upon Mariemaia, who was awaiting her decision, whatever it may be. Finally, Une nodded.

"…Okay. But I want you to contact me if anything goes wrong."

"We will return to you if we have any additional information." Cye promised.

Une nodded again and everyone stood up. Cye and Dais stood side by side and bubbles of energy formed around them. They each reach their hands out to take hold of one of the girls. Dorothy took hold of Dais's hand while Mariemaia began to reach for Cye's. But before she grabbed it, she whirled around and rushed to Lady Une. Une bent down and let the girl wrap her arms around her, with her own arms around her back in a gentle hug.

"Be safe okay."

"I will."

They ended the embrace and Mariemaia slowly grabbed hold of Cye's hand. She was soon absorbed into the bubble and in a flash it blasted upward, disappearing into the ceiling and the sky. Une simply stared upward.

'Please be safe.'

--------------------------

Earth, Sahara Desert

Quatre appreciated thee fact that he was in a familiar setting. The sand dunes and hot winds swirled around him and Kento as they prepared for their training. Bothyouths were in their sub-armors;

"Well, this is a good spot. Wish I had a burger before we got here though."

Quatre looked off to the left, "Well, I have an estate a few miles away from here. After we're done today, we can head there."

Kento's eyes lit up, "Really? Alright, cool. I like you already, Quatre." Quatre was currently unaware of Kento insatiable appetite and his stomach's reputation as the bottomless pit. Continuing, "Well let's get started." Kento jumped forward and across from Quatre. He then held his fist forward in fighting stance. "Just to let you know, I'll start easy at first, but after a few minutes I won't hold back."

Quatre blinked and then settled back in his own stance, "Okay."

Though Quatre was not as gifted as the other pilot in hand-to-hand combat, he knew basic self-defense and martial arts. Kento decided to start things off at charged in at Quatre. Quatre held his stance and Kento swung out with a heavy punch. Quatre jumped back and away and Kento charged again, this time with a side kick. But Quatre somehow managed to cartwheel over the kick and land on the opposite side. With Kento's back now exposed, Quatre shot his fist forward in attack. Sensing the incoming attack, Kento rolled to the side and raised his left forearm, blocking the attack. On impulse, Kento balled up his fist and struck out with his right fist, hitting Quatre in the chest. Quatre flew backward, but somehow managed to stay leveled enough to be on his feet.

"Not bad. You know how to take a hit."

Kento charged again and suddenly shot up into the air. Quatre watched as he flew up and then descended quickly, his fist barreling downward. Quatre's eyes waved a bit and when Kento came down fully, Quatre backflipped at the pivotal moment, his feet snapping back and hitting Kento in the face. Kento was caught completely off guard by the maneuver and he rolled off into the sand. Kento shook his head as he arose. 'Whoa. He's a lot better than I thought. This is going to be fun.' Kento lifted himself up and dusted the sand off his sub-armor.

"Okay. That was a good warm-up. Now let's get to the nitty-gritty." He flexed his muscles briefly and put his fists together.

"Armor of Hardrock! Tao Gi!!!!!!!"

The bands of energy struck around Kento and swirled upward as lines of cloth, which exploded into fragments and rained down on the sub-armor, materializing into the armor of Hardrock. Quatre was astonished by the armor summoning and looked down at his own hand. Closing them into fists, he repeated Kento's actions.

"Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!!!!!!"

Like Kento, band of energy swirled up from him and became armor cloth. The cloth shattered and rained down on Quatre, forming into the Celestial armor of Dune. It was a golden-yellow armor with heavy looking arm gauntlets armed with a single claw and equipped with nunchuku on the sides of the leg armor. Quatre and Kento gazed up at each other, their face-plates still shielded over their faces. In unison, they both pulled out their weapons. Quatre, the nunchuku and Kento, his naginata. They both swung their weapons rapidly and they suddenly charged at each other.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

--------------------------

Netherrealm

"That's one for the storybooks that's for sure."

Mia had just finished telling Sally Po the whole storied history of the Ronin Warriors and the information on the Celestial Warriors (The summurized version actually).

"So you're telling me that the all the gundam pilots are in fact magical warriors that are supposed to save the world?"

"I know." Mia chuckled. "After all this time, I got used to it so I sometimes forget how unbelievable it could be. But that's the truth."

Sally shook her head lightly, "Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me, but I guess I could understand it. Those five boys are something else."

"Actually, five boys and one girl."

She blinked in surprise, "Oh?"

"She said her name was Hilde Schbeiker."

"Hilde? That name…" Sally thought briefly. She then put it aside and went on, "Hm. In either case, they all have to join with the others…the Ronin Warriors, to fight a great evil."

"Yes. Nanashi." Mia answered. "I'm trying to get as much information as I could, but there are a lot of unknowns in this."

"Well, I wish I could help out."

Mia gave an appreciative nod, "That would be nice, thanks."

"Mia? Mia!"

Mia looked over to the opposite cot and saw Yuli sitting upright from it. "Yuli, you're awake.

"Yeah. Sort of, ow." he replied, rubbing his head. "So what's going on? Is the Dynasty back again?"

"Actually, it's a lot worse." Mia sighed. She then blinked and looked back over at Sally, "Oh, Yuli, this is Sally Po. Sally, this is Yuli."

"Hello."

"Hiya." Yuli greeted back.

Just then, a burst of light emerged in the center room and formed into human figures. Cye and Dais had returned with Mariemaia and Dorothy. The group looked around to see the main chamber empty.

"So this is the Dynasty." Dorothy mused as she examined her surrondings. "I can just feel the difference in it."

Cye looked over to the side room and greeted Mia, "Hey Mia. Where are the others?"

"Training." she answered. "They won't be back for some time." Her eyes then wavered to the two newcomers and back to Cye. "What's going on?"

"Let's just say things got complicated." Dais answered shortly.

-----------------------------

The calm sands of the desert soon exploded from the battle between Quatre of Dune and Kento of Hardrock. The two warriors dashed about on the sands as though it was solid ground. Kento leaped up into the air and shot the front end of his naginata like a projectile, with a chain following behind. Quatre saw the attack and jump up, allowing the naginata end to smash into the sands. Quatre then lash out with his nunchuku, causing the wire to stretch and fly at Kento. Quickly, Kento detached the other end of the naginata and flicked the flying nunchuku away. He then landed and reassembled his weapon while Quatre pulled his arm and weapon back to its normal size. Kento then spun the staff weapon entirely and charged at Quatre. Quatre stood still for a moment and just as Kento swung forward, Quatre dodged off to the size and struck Kento in the mid-section. The result surprised both of them. It surprised Kento that Quatre was able to move so swiftly in his armor and that his blow would have done serious damage. Quatre was surprised that Kento was able to withstand the blow itself. Since the beginning, Quatre saw that Kento would be the aggressor and had used that knowledge to his advantage. But how Kento was able to continue fighting after a blow like that was amazing. Surprise gone, Kento slapped his naginata forward and it detached again, hitting Quatre in the back of his head. Quatre was knocked down, but only for a moment and he rose up to his feet again. Beneath the armor, Kento grinned. 'Wow. You'd never think he could take so much. Time to push it to the max.' Reconnecting his naginata, Kento held it behind himself and raised his arm forward.

"Armor of Hardrock!!! Iron Rock Crusher!!!!!!"

He spun his weapon behind him, causing heat waves to rise. He then pointed it forward, at Quatre and the whole landscape exploded in a flash. Quatre was engulfed within the explosion and Kento began to think that he had gone too far. That was until he saw Quatre standing in the midst of the attack, completely unaffected.

'What? But how…?'

It hadn't yet occurred to Kento that since Quatre's armor was the armor of Dune, he would be empowered by the sands of the desert. But it hadn't occurred to him because he was currently witnessing Quatre's armor growing stronger. The sand whirled around him as Quatre connected the two nunchuku together and held them forward. A wide black circle formed underneath Kento and he looked around in surprise as he was soon encircled by light. Quatre then waved the nunchuku and raised it high, looking to strike down.

"Armor of Dune!!! Gaia's Wrath!!!!!!!!"

Slamming the nunchuku down on the imprisoning circle, a blast of white energy shot up like a volcano eruption and crumbled everything around them (Everything that's not sand, of course.) The eruption reached the skies, creating a sandstorm all around. Quatre suddenly blinked, realizing what he had done. 'Oh no. What have I done?' Yet as the sands cleared, he saw a figure standing in the midst of it. It was Kento and like Quatre before, he was unaffected by the attack due to his armor's strength on the earth, which included the desert. It would appear that it was a draw.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to…"

Kento's lifted off his helmet and smiled, "That was great, Quatre. Just wait. Nanashi won't know what hit him when I'm done with you and we're going kick his butt."

"So…you're not angry?"

"No way." He then scratched the back of his head, "I guess I did push you to it. After all, I started with mine first. I'm the one that should be apologizing, I guess."

Quatre smiled lightly, "Perhaps we should call it even."

Kento lifted his finger, "Not quite. You still owe me a burger. And all this fighting has really done a number on my appetite."

"Well, let see what we could do about that."

Kento smiled and put an arm around Quatre, "Now you're talking."

The two walked off to the estate, where Quatre will soon discover that he doesn't have enough food to fill the bottomless pit that was Kento's stomach.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 14 

_Nether Realm_

Two figures strode through the strange environment of the Nether Realm. A golden lake sparkled strangely in the glow of the dual light of the sun and the moon. On the shores of this place, Kayura moved through the walkway, followed by Hilde who was wearing a silvery subarmor. Kayura soon stopped walking and stared out into the water before her. 

"I wanted to train you specifically, because you possess the strongest power of both the Celestials and the Ronins Warriors." 

"I do?" Hilde blinked. Ever since she arrived, she had been uncertain of her role in this. When told that she was a Celestial, her confusion grew. Though she considered herself a tough person, she couldn't see herself in the same league as with the gundam pilots. "I don't see how. Honestly, I still don't believe I'm strong enough to be of help. I'm nothing like the gundam...I mean, the Celestials or the Ronins." 

Kayura slowly turned to her, "That is not true. Simply because you do not have the physical combat abilities of the others does not mean that you can not help." Kayura took a step toward her, "In fact, you are much stronger than you think." Her eyes then turned sad, "You are not too different from when I was once." 

"You?" 

"Yes." Kayura turned around once again and looked into the water. "When Talpa renewed his attack against the mortal realm, he assigned me the task of defeating with the Ronins." She then sighed, "Back then, I was under his control and thus, his best warrior. I was weak...too weak to resist his control over me." Her head lifted up to the sky, "But that changed when Anubis came to set me free. At the cost of his own life, he set me free and endowed me with his former armor. You see, there are other types of strength, like the strength of spirit. And that is what I see in you, Hilde." 

Kayura turned back around and stared deep into the young woman's eyes. "You have the power. All you need now is the knowledge to use it. And that is why you are here today." 

"Now, let's begin." 

- 

"The Ronin armors were created to protect mankind from Talpa and the demons of the Netherrealm should they try to invade our realm. Talpa had tried to invade twice already and almost succeeded. He had imprisoned Tokyo the first time he invaded and ruined it the second time." 

Mia had just gone on to explain to Dorothy and Mariemaia the story of the Ronin Warriors (the summarized version), mostly of the attacks of the Dynasty and their warlord leader, Talpa. 

"How can that be?" Mariemaia questioned. "Surely everyone would remember something like that happening." 

Mia shook her head, "After both events, everyone lost their memory of the events that took place. Even the damages caused by the battles were restored as though nothing had happened. I don't know how that happened, but it's probably better that way." Her face lowered, "A lot of people suffered as Talpa's slaves." 

Yuli's eyes lowered as well, showing them that he must have been one of the ones that suffered as well. Despite this, Dorothy continued, her eyes seeming to gaze past Mia. 

"Tell me more about the Ronins. Are you a Ronin as well?" 

Me?" Mia blinked. "Oh no. I just help out. My grandfather studied the legends of the Ronin Warriors and left his records with me." 

"Oh. I just figured that you did, with such an elegant weapon and all." Dorothy then indicated to the source of her attention; the Starlight Sword that rested next to Mia. 

"This?" Mia lifted the sword upward for her to see. "Oh, well I'm still trying to figure that part out. This is one of the Starlight Swords. They were once used by Lady Kayura when she was under Talpa's control. But when Anubis freed her, they disappeared. That was until this one appeared to me." Her eyes narrowed as she finished, "It...called me." 

Dorothy's curiosity grew, "Called you?" 

"From what Kayura told us, they attach themselves to a purity of the spirit. I'm not sure exactly." She rested to sword back to its former place. "And I don't know where the other sword is." 

Dorothy's thoughts were already in full spin. _'Purity of spirit...Interesting.'_ Dorothy was about to inquire more when a flash of light from outside alerted them. Yuli walked out to see and then came back. 

"Hey everybody. The guys have returned." 

A moment later, Kale, Wufei, Duo and Rowen all strode into the dojo dwelling. Rowen seemed to have a few bruises on him and Duo was a bit worn out as well. 

"What happened to you guys?" 

"Well, we ran into an old buddy." Duo replied. Rubbing his shoulder, he explained, "Zechs attacked us." 

Rowen nodded sorely, "But it was a close one. We almost didn't make it." 

Dorothy sat in her seat, a hidden smile on her face. "Well this just gets better and better." 

"What are you doing here, Dorothy?" Trowa asked suddenly. 

Dorothy turned to him, still smiling. "Ah, Trowa Barton, we meet again. That's quite a new look you have." Seeing his face remain the same, as usual, Dorothy answered him. "I'm here to watch over my niece. It appears that she is very important to what you all are involved with." 

Cye told them what happened in their quest for the Jewel of Light and their fight with the Dynasty warlord, Toka. Rowen folded his arms after hearing the story, "Well, at least you guys were able to get out safe and sound. And we have both Jewels now." 

"True." Kale agreed. But then he added, "But that will only serve to drive Nanashi harder into getting them and destroying us as well." 

Mia turned to her computer and renewed her work, "We must find out how we can use them before Nanashi can strike again." 

Little did they know that that very thing was about to happen… 

- 

"Don't fight it. The armor is there to help you. Let it. Feel its strength." 

Kayura had stood motionless with her staff in hand while she drilled Hilde into her exercise. She had been repeating the same phrase over and over while Hilde simply moved the way she felt, effectively into a sort of kata motion. It had taken Hilde some time to get use to it, but she had developed a knack for it, sensing the energy and power of her hidden armor. Kayura noted her progress. _'Her sensitivity is increasing rapidly. In time, she will master her power. I just hope...'_

Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted by what she feared would happen. A dark air seemed to overshadow them in a black aura. Hilde sensed it as well and stopped in her exercise. She looked around and her gaze fell upon the water. The lake began to sizzle slowly and then it quickly started to bubble. Heat waves simmer throughout the air, causing Hilde to look at Kayura. Kayura, for her part, was focused on the far end of the walkway. Following her gaze, Hilde saw a single armored figure walking toward them. It was a female figure, wearing golden armor and holding two thin-looking blades in her hands. The figure finally stopped a few feet away from them and Kayura locked gazes with her. 

"You are Phoenix." 

The faceplate on her face shifted away, revealing Noin's face, "And you were once the Mistress of Pain. Until you turned against you master, Talpa." 

Kayura frowned at hearing Talpa's name, "Talpa took control of me against my will. He was never my master. Just as Nanashi is not your master." 

"I disagree." Noin countered. "Nanashi is the master of all and as soon as you and the others are out of the way, nothing will stop him." 

"Now that is where I disagree." Kayura responded evenly. Her voice then softened, "It doesn't have to be this way. You are a Celestial like the others. Do not let Nanashi control you." 

But Noin's answer was her whirling her jittes. "Save your words, _Lady_ Kayura." she sneered as she settled into battle stance. Kayura lowered her head briefly and held the staff forward. Turning to Hilde, she warned, "Stay back. If anything happens, be ready to protect yourself." 

Hilde gave a light nod and Kayura turned back to her opponent, who crossed her blades before herself. Kayura simply kept a defensive posture, awaiting the attack she knew would come. 

It did... 

"Yaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" 


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: See previous chapters 

Chap. 15

_ Tsssshhhhh!_

The jitte shrieked through the air like a hawk as Noin charged in attack. Kayura readied herself and blocked it with the staff. Noin pressed her attack, bringing her second blade in to stab Kauya. But the warrior priestess spun around to dodge and the blade missed her completely. Reflexively, Noin swung her arm back, causing Kayura to duck. She then leaped out of the way as Noin wheeled around with a downward slash and Kayura landed softly a good distance away. Noin narrowed her eyes.

"Come now, Kayura. Is this a fight or is this a dance?"

From her place, Hilde noticed what Noin was speaking about. Kayura hadn't struck back, despite the opportunities to do so. Also, she saw that Kayura had yet to summon her own armor. _'Why?'_ Hilde wondered. She had seen Kayura in action when she had come to retrieve both her and Duo and she knew Kayura could very well own the battle. So why was she holding back now?

Kayura meanwhile readied herself for the next assault. The first one was to judge how strong her opponent was and after seeing her in action, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold up long using defensive techniques. But she didn't want to use her armor either. She needed to use the staff's full power in order to release Noin from whatever control Nanashi had on her and she wouldn't be able to do that with the armor. That only left her with the option to fight without it. She was skilled enough to face an armored warrior; that was certain given her experience with the Ronins. But the Ronins weren't under an evil influence like Noin was now so it will prove dangerous. Still, she had to pull it off if she was to save Noin and the other Celestials under Nanashi's control.

"Your move."

Noin crossed her blades in response and shot up into the air. Kayura followed, staff in hand as she met with Noin in the air and they clashed fiercely against each other. The two of them land in the lake and leapt into the air again. Another clash and again, they descended without injury or fatigue. However, as soon as she touched down into the water again, Noin quickly dashed across it and straight at Kayura. The priestess readied herself for the attack, but Noin suddenly shot up high into the air, practically into the sunlight.

"Feel the rage of the phoenix!" Noin shrieked as she crossed her blades in front of herself. Rings of fire swirled around her and she stretched out her arms to the side.

"**_Phoenix Scream!_**"

The rings suddenly spilled out of their formation, flaring out in all directions in waves of light and fire. Kayura watched in shock and brought her staff before her to defend against the attack. An energy barrier formed, but the attack hammered against it anyway, all the while sizzling the water around her and toasting it into steam instantly. Kayura now stood on barren bedrock, staggering somewhat from the force of the attack. Noin landed on the bedrock and gazed at her opponent.

"Now we end this, Lady Kayura."

Kayura continued to try and steady herself. Noin's attack had done far more damage than she thought and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle another forceful attack like that. Noin locked her blades forward and charged at Kayura. Kayura made ready to defend when a new figure descended from the air in between her and Noin.

"Stop it." Hilde proclaimed. "Leave her."

"You want to take her place? Fine!"

Noin dashed straight at Hilde and backslapped her with the hilt of her jitte. Hilde gave out a cry as she was floored to the ground.

"Hilde..." Kayura whispered.

Noin soon returned her attention to the downed priestess. "Now, where were we?" She began to advance on Kayura with Kayura reading for the imminent attack. Hilde groaned as she arose and saw Noin moving toward Kayura. _'No. Stop this.'_ The symbol of Ai -Love- shimmered on her forehead briefly and she stood up straight to confront Noin.

"Armor..._ Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!"_

The cry was soon followed with an explosion of energy and a set of loom cloths that shot up into the sky. The looms exploded and the fragments rained down on Hilde and bringing the armor into form. Noin stopped and turned to Hilde who was completely encased in her armor. As the name indicated, Hilde's armor was colored in a light, almost transparent blue. Her back was equipped with two katana blades and her chestplate armor had a solid crystal embedding in it. Reaching back, Hilde unsheathed one of the blades she possessed and held it forward. Noin turned to her fully this time.

"So you really wanted to fight me?" A single flare erupted around her, showing her readiness to fight. "Very well then, Hilde of the Crystal."

-

_Dojo Dwelling_

The group as now scattered around of the building, with the Ronins, Warlords and Celstials training without their armor while they awaited the return of the others. Inside, Mia, Dorothy and Sally all sat in wait with Mia continuing her research. In the main hall, Yuli playing around with Whiteblaze while Mariemaia watched them quietly.

"It's okay. " Yuli said as he looked over at her. "He's won't hurt you."

The young girl regarded him and then looked at the tiger. Despite the fearsome appearance, Whiteblaze had been relatively gentle around others. Slowly, she approached the tiger and lifted her hand. Whiteblaze directed his attention to her and she almost snapped her hand back, but held it in place. Whiteblaze simply watched as her hand inched closer and finally rested on his head. The tiger let out a low growl and Mariemaia soon became relaxed in petting him. She eventually stopped and this caused Whiteblaze to rise up to his feet. Fear suddenly gripped her, seeing as the tiger was a fairly large animal. But that fear was abated when Whiteblaze licked her cheek. Strangely enough, she found herself laughing and petting the tiger once again. There were very few times in her life where she could just laugh like this. Ever since she was little, she had been trained to be a lady of high status and that left her little time to be just a little girl or even have friends. Odd that in a time when he life was in danger that she could find such a moment with a white tiger and a young boy. A flash of light soon caught their attention and the three of them turned to see two figures appear as the light faded. The women, who had seen the light from the other room, entered the hall as well and the figures were revealed to be Quatre and Kento.

"Well, well, well." Dorothy remarked with a smile. "Quatre Rabarba Winner."

Quatre blinked at seeing Dorothy there. The last time they had met... well, she had stabbed him with a rapier. He held no resentment to her for it though. In fact, he had forgiven her long before they fought. He had then heard about how she had played a part in quelling Mariemaia's conquest of Earth, but never got the chance to meet with her again.

"Miss Dorothy? What are you doing here?"

"Polite as always." she grinned. "But then again, that's you all over."

Sally decided to answer him. "Mariemaia is the bearer of the Jewel of Light and Dorothy came to watch over her."

"Alright. Well, that's good news." Kento grinned. "We have both Jewels now. Now all we have to do is go and kick Nanashi's butt."

"Not so fast, Kento." Rowen interjected. "We still don't know how to use the Jewels against them so at the moment we're stuck."

Duo relaxed against the wall. "So what's the plan?"

"We have to wait for the others to return." answered Sage. "Heero and Hilde haven't come back from their training with Ryo and Kayura."

Quatre suddenly walked toward the entrance and gazed up into the sky. Trowa turned to look at him, but could only see the side of his face, which appeared troubled.

"What is is, Quatre?"

"I don't know."Unseen to Trowa, Quatre's symbol shimmered back and forth on his forehead. "I just feel...something is wrong."

-

"Haaaaaa!"

Noin charged in with a fierce slash, using both her jitte. In panic, Hilde held up the own sword in defense and managed to block the strike, but was surprised by the result shockwave and jumped back. Noin pressed on, slashing out wildly and trying to dice the younger woman into pieces. But Hilde managed to either avoid or defend against the attacks while jumping away. But Hilde was just reacting. She had no idea how to fight with her armor and weapons, much less defeat a skilled warrior like Noin. Still, she had to buy some time. _'Time for what?'_ She didn't have a plan to get out of this. But she could just stand around and get killed. She had to fight, or at the very least try to.

"Come on."

Noin didn't need any encouragement as she was already charging at Hilde. Reassuring herself on her earlier words, Hilde let out a cry and charged at Noin. Noin seemed surprised by this change, but she didn't let it stop her jump jumping up into the air. Hilde followed, bringing her sword back in attack and in mid-air, the blade clashed violently. The weilders continued to fly on, with Hilde in surprise at what she had done. But Noin was less stunned and as soon as she touched the ground, she jumped back at her again. Hilde turned around and saw Noin coming at her and slashed out. But her attack was too early and it missed Noin completely. Noin brought her own blades in and struck Hilde. And powerful blast of fire erupted out and Hilde was tossed back against the floor. The young girl winced in pain and at looking at her armor, she saw that her shoulder armor was singed horribly. Any deeper and her shoulder could have been burned right off. Her attention soon returned to the battle where Noin was already coming at her again. Quickly, she jumped up to her feet and hopped away just as Noin struck down, incinerating the ground beneath her. Hilde was barely able to regain her bearings when Noin came again and again, keeping her completely off balance.

"You're no match for me. Submit to Nanashi or die."

Despite her predicament, Hilde retorted back. "I won't."

Upon hearing the response, Noin slashed out in a wide arc, forcing Hilde back further. Hilde lost her balance and fell on the ground again. Her sword left her grip and fell away. Noin lifted both jitte high over her head.

"Then you choose to die."

Noin took to the air and brought her blades down on Hilde. Hilde held her arm crossed in a meager defense, but judging from the damage to her shoulder armor, those blades were going to burn right through her. Noin descended and her jitte soon hit...

...The staff of the Ancients. Kayura had regained some of her strength and blocked Noin's attack from connecting. Noin glared venomously at her and prepared to renew her attack on the priestess when the headpiece of the staff shimmered to life. Noin backed away from the light and covered her eyes as Kayura held the staff high.

"Behold the light and embrace its truth."

Noin staggered away from the increasing light, turned around and jumped into the air, disappearing in a explosion of flame. The light ceased and Kayura lowered the staff. Turning to Hilde, she let out her hand to help her up.

"You did well, Hilde."

Hilde sighed, "Yeah. Well at getting my butt kicked."

"You're alive. That's what is most important."

Hilde blinked before accepted her words and reaching up to grasp her hand. Kayura nodded and pulled her up to her feet.

-

"This just gets better and better."

Hilde and Kayura had returned from their battle with Noin and related to the other of what had happened. Hilde's shoulder was healed by her armor but it was still tender and as a result, the young woman rubbed it to massage the pain.

"Miss Noin..." Quatre whispered.

Dorothy, who had commented earlier, heard his remark and retorted. "Will you let her stab you as well?"

Quartre looked away and for a moment, a look of regret passed over Dorothy's eyes. However, Kale decided to add on to her statement.

"She's right. They are our enemies and must be treated as such."

"Hey, back off." Cye replied. "No need to get into that now. We just have to worry about getting back together now and uniting our powers."

Kayura nodded, "He's right. Once Wildfire and Reflections return, we can proceed. I only hope that it will not be too late."

At that moment, a light emanated in the midst of the dwelling, alerting their attention. The light began to fade, but they were unsure as to what they where seeing. There appeared to be one figure within it, deformed somewhat. The cleared and they soon saw what it was. Heero was holding an unconscious Ryo on his back. Heero set him down on the floor and the others gathered around him. Ryo's body was badly burned, as there were several burn marks all over his body.

"Ryo. What happened to him?"Their initial assumption was that Noin had attacked them too. But that couldn't be since Noin was occupied in the fight against Kayura and Hilde to have to time to go and confront them. But they didn't have to guess because Heero abruptly answered the question.

"Me."


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 16

"You?"

The group looked over at Heero as he moved over to a wall and, leaning back, he folded his arms. Mia, Yuli and Sally helped carry Ryo into the next room while the others awaited Heero's answer.

"The training took a different turn."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ryo and Heero had teleported to a wasteland area that was next to a mountain. It was mid-afternoon, though the clouds made it darker than normal. Heero simply stood by and waited as Ryo finished looking around.

"Okay. This is safe enough." Addressing Heero. "You already know how to call forth your armor. This is just for you to get a better handling on its power."

Heero made no reply and Ryo frowned slightly. Shaking it away, Ryo simply placed his hands together and cried aloud.

_"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Chi!"_

A burst of energy emitted out and looms of cloth swirled into the air. The cloth exploded and the fragments rained down upon Ryo and formed the Armor of Wildfire.

_"Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!"_

The same burst of energy emitted out of Heero hands and the armor swirled up and surrounded Hero, encasing him in his milky blue armor and helmet. The two unsheathed their blade in both hands and readied themselves.

"Are you ready, Heero?"

"Hn."

Accepting that as a yes, Ryo let out a cry and charged at Heero. Heero made no move until Ryo came in close and then slashed upward to counter. The blades clashed heavily against each together as the two struggled against each other. However, Heero showed no signs that he was struggling, as his face remained neutral. Ryo lifted the blades up and jumped back and that was when Heero went on the offensive, coming in with both swords reared back. Ryo swung back and again the swords clashed, with heavier force and wild sparks flying outward. Ryo blinked. He didn't expect for Heero to show so much strength right off like this.

_'His armor...is getting stronger...so fast.'_

Heero lifted his swords up and slashed forward. Ryo barely backed away from the attack and tried to come back, but Heero's speed came into play and he slashed upward, deflecting Ryo's oncoming sword and diverting it away. Seeing the opening, Heero brought his blades in to stab, but Ryo managed to jump out of the way. Landing on the ground away, Ryo examined his opponent.

_'He's learning this fast. Maybe a little too...'_

Before his thought could complete, Heero charged at him again. Ryo decided to match him force for force and charged as well. The blades clashed violently and both warriors went at each other with excessive force. But it was more than just swordplay; they were both flying through the air, delivering whatever blows they could, whether it is slashes, kicks, or punches. Ryo continued to battle with Heero and it was immediately clear that this was no ordinary spar. _'He's taking this seriously.'_ Both of them were soon lost in their own battle fervor and the landscape was filled with the sounds of their fighting. Heero came in at Ryo while in mid-air and landed a double kick to the Ronin's chest. Ryo sprawled through the air and landed on the ground on his feet. Looking up, he saw Heero descend upon him and leaped up just as the Celestial struck down, ripping up the ground in the process. Connecting his swords together, Ryo called for the full power of the Armor of Wildfire.

_**"Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up Now!"**_

The flame of energy ignited and burned wildly across the sky as Ryo shot it down at Heero. Heero looked up at the incoming attack, surprise now clear on his face for a while. But it was then that his armor began to glow and Heero found himself following the armor's call. He spread his arms and blade outward and the glow intensified around his body.

_"Mirrored Edge!"_

As he said this, the other swords detached from his back and spread out as well. The superfire blast almost hit him dead-on, but suddenly a blue transparent curve of energy formed in front of him, taking the blast and reflecting it back at its summoner in a bluish glow. Ryo's eyes widened in shock as his own attack, modified by Heero's, came right back at him. He wasn't even albeit to let out a cry as the blue flames engulfed him in a terrific explosion. When the light died out, Ryo's body fell from out of the sky and toward the ground. Heero watched his descending body for a moment and then jumped up and caught him in mid-air. Looking down at the Ronin, he found that Ryo was now unconscious and burned on various parts of his body. With a grunt, Heero concentrated on their previous location and the armor did the rest.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"You what?" Duo exclaimed as Heero finished the story.

"If we were to train as he said, I couldn't hold anything back."

Duo chuckled as he placed a hand on his head. "You sure are a piece of work, Heero."

At that point, Sally re-entered the room. "Okay. I wouldn't worry about Ryo. He's been hurt, but he seems to be a fast healer. He should be up in no time."

"That's good." Rowen nodded. "Now for the plan..."

Rowen soon stopped himself short and everyone turned to look outside. They had all sensed it. The dark feeling that seemed to just invade the area. As they looked on, they saw a legion of Dynasty soldier approach them from the trees. And in the lead was one massive armored warrior, wielding an even bigger battle-axe.

"Oh no. Not again." Cye spoke. "Toka."

The warlord's eyes glowed in bright crimson. "I have failed my master twice because of you Ronins. This time, I will not fail."

The group all collectively exited the dwelling and found that the entire place was surrounded by scores of soldiers, far more than the Celestials had ever seen.

"We're in trouble." Sage commented. "Big trouble."

"That's the understatement of the century." Sehkmet added.

Kayura took the lead. "We must protect this place and the Jewels. If this place is destroyed, then the barrier between this world and the mortal world will be opened again." Lifting her staff, she readied herself.

"Ronins! Warlords! Celestials! To arms!"

* * *

"Master. Toka has launched an assault against the Celestials."

"Fool." the menacing figure growled. "I gave him no such command."

"What are your orders?"

Nanashi's eyes narrowed. "We watch. If Toka succeeds in taking the Jewels, then so be it. But if he is destroyed then that will be his fate."

* * *

The battle erupted quickly as the armored warriors battled with the Dynasty soldiers. Wufei, Sehkmet, Kale, Trowa, Kento, Sage and Heero dove in the thick of the battle, with the Celestials using their newfound weapons and powers to chop down the advancing horde. Meanwhile, Duo, Quatre, Cye, Rowen, Hilde, and Dais battled with the ones that got through them, making sure that none of the soldiers reached the dwelling and those inside. That left Kayura to deal with Toka.

"Raaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

Toka charged at the warrior priestess and swung his axe down in a massive slash. The ground crumbled and exploded, but Kayura had managed to leap out of the way and land on the opposite side of him. Enraged, Toka wheeled around and flung his axe at her. Kayura was surprised by the speed and barely dodged aside as the weapon chopped through the trees behind her. Lifting herself up, she saw the Toka had regained his weapon and began to advance on her.

"You disappoint me, Kayura." he mocked. "From what I've heard of you, I expected a much better challenge."

Kayura gave no return reply and simply readied herself again. Glancing at her staff, she realized that it would not be needed in this fight. She opened her hand and the staff vanished, causing Toka to stop in confusion. Kayura stood up straight and place her hands together.

_'Guide me, Anubis.' "Tao Chu!"_

A blast of light burst from her hands and her own armor came to the fore. Soon she was armored with the Armor of the Ogre. Kayura lifted her hands, dispelling the helmet in order for extra movement and her weapons formed in her hands, the Kusari-Gama. With her left hand, she began to spin the chained weight of the weapon while holding the sickle-shaped blade in her other hand. Toka seemed to frown.

"If you think you can scare me with that, then you are a fool."

Toka charged at her with a bellow and Kayura did likewise. Toka released a mighty swing to which Kayura ducked. In return, Kayura swung the weighted chain at him and because he was open, the weight smashed into his face. With a growl, Toka stepped back and Kayura went in to finish him with the blade. But Toka recovered fast and caught the kusari with the staff part of his axe before it slashed into him. Still hooked, Toka swung his arms upward and Kayura was thrown skyward. Toka then began to power up his axe.

"All too easy!"

Suddenly, a white blur came through the air and knocked Toka down to the ground before he could attack. Toka growled as he looked up and saw Whiteblaze snarling at him, with Ryo behind him.

"What do you think you're doing, ugly?"

At that point, Kayura had landed softly behind him and saw Ryo's arrival. "Wildfire, what are you doing?"

Ryo was about to answer, but he winced slightly. This alone gained Toka's attention. "So you are weakened. You are a fool to come into battle and now you will pay the price for it."

Ignoring Kayura, Toka suddenly dashed straight at Ryo. Ryo crossed his swords and readied himself, but the resulting strike from Toka was too much for him and he was painfully hurled back against the dwelling.

"Ahhhh!"

Toka moved in again, but a chain wrapped around his axe before he could strike. He didn't have to look back to know it was Kayura, preventing him from finishing off the Ronin. Toka suddenly yanked his axe forward, using his brute strength to propel Kayura toward him while raising his weapon again to chop down Ryo. But he was again stopped when another person made his presence.

"Leave him alone!"

The cry came from Yuli and at this Ryo shouted at him. "Get out of here!" Also, Mia emerged from behind and grabbed Yuli, but Toka was already on them, seeing the Jewel of Life around the boy's neck.

"It's mine!"

But again, due to his single-mindedness, Toka was knocked away by an unseen force and upon recovery he roared, promising himself that he will skin the white tiger this time. But the attacker wasn't Whiteblaze. It was Heero.

_Heero of Reflections..._

"I've had enough of this! I will destroy you all" Forgetting both the Jewel and the boy, Toka powered his axe and set it to destroy the Celestial.

**_"Axe of Oblivion!"_**

The axe slashed out with a destructive wave of energy, but Heero stretched his arms out to the side, causing the other swords to hover behind him in the air and his armor to glow.

_"Mirrored Edge!"_

The blast from the axe suddenly stopped short before him and then reflected back with greater speed. Toka was shocked by the reversal and was blasted back through the forest trees. Toka arose slowly, his armor badly cracked as he staggered to his feet. Looking forward, he saw the approaching Celestial, swords still drawn. Toka searched for his weapon and found it nearby. As soon as he touched it, Heero came dashing at him. _'I will not be defeated by a mortal child!'_ But as he lifted the weapon, Heero struck the midsection of the axe, resulting in slicing it in half and tearing a gash in Toka's armor. As the two pieces fell to the floor, Toka staggered back, not believing what had just happened. Meanwhile, Heero lifted his swords again, his eyes emotionless as he muttered.

"Omae no korosu…"

The swords came down upon Toka and ripped through the armor. With a cry, Toka exploded in a dark mist. Heero stood amid the explosion without a flinch and he slowly sheathed his blades.

"Mission complete."

* * *

"So Toka has failed."

"A frontal assault against all of them, even at this stage, was a mistake." Trieze said with disdain. "Toka's anger blinded him to this."

Nanashi turned his attention to the dark Celestial. "I'm glad that you understand this, because it will be your duty to obtain the Jewels now."

Dropping on one knee, Trieze bowed his head. "Yes master. I will not fail you."


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 17

The ronins and celestials were gathering inside the dwelling are once again. After Toka's destruction, the remaining soldiers disappeared, signaling the victory for the armored warriors. Kayura and the warlords soon entered in after making sure that the Dynasty presence was gone from the area.

"The Dynasty has been driven away from here." she announced. Looking at Heero, she smiled. "You've done well in defeating Toka on your own, Reflections."

"Well that's Heero all over." Quatre replied, also casting a smile at his fellow pilot.

"I must admit, he has preformed admirably in battle." Kale added, feeling a greater respect for the Celestial.

Duo walked over to him and placed an elbow on his shoulder, a smile plastered on his face. "Well Heero, it seems you are...well, the hero of the day."

"Hn." was all Heero said as he closed his eyes and looked away.

"It looks like Heero's the talk of the town, eh Ryo...?" Kento said, turning to the side. His face shifted to surprise at seeing that Ryo was missing. "Hey, where'd he go?"

In the back area of the dwelling, Ryo stood forward, but his head was lowered and his eyes were closed. He heard a shuffle of light footstep approach from behind, but he didn't looking up. He didn't have to. He already knew who it was.

"Hey Ryo." Mia said softly. "You okay?"

"I messed up." "Huh?"

Ryo opened his eyes, but didn't lift his head. "I got in the way. I should have known better than to engage in the battle with my injuries, but I chose to fight anyway."

"Ryo, you shouldn't feel bad about that." She then added with a light chuckle. "If anything, it was probably Yulie's fault. I should know, because he's been blaming himself for what happened to you."

Ryo shook his head. "But Yulie was just...He just wanted to help."

Mia moved beside him. "And so were you." Placing a hand on his shoulder, she reassured. "Don't feel ashamed for wanting to help."

Ryo looked up to continue to deny her words, but upon looking at her eyes, he was at a lost for words. So much so that he decided to just accept it and smile back.

"Thanks...Mia."

* * *

"Hey, gorgeous. What's up?"

Duo moved over to the steps just outside the dwelling where Hilde sat looking outward. Duo took a seat next to her, expecting her to turn to him with one of her usual smiles. But instead, she continued to look forward; a distant look in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Do you..." She lowered her head and Duo gave her a strange glance. "Do you think I'm in the way here?"

"What makes you say that?" he questioned with confusion.

Hilde let out a sigh. "Well, I just don't feel like I belong here. All you guys seem to be on another level from me." She closed her eyes and let out a light smile. "I don't know. Maybe I'm being silly. Kayura says I'm doing well, but I can't help feeling that way."

Duo stared out ahead. "Would it surprise you if I told you that I felt the same way?"

Hilde blinked. "Huh? I don't see how."

Duo lent back, resting his elbows on the floorboards. "Well, not exactly the same. I mean, this is all still weird for me. Demons, mystical armors, monstrous warlords… I think it was easier when we had to deal with mobile dolls."

Hilde smiled again and turned to look at him, realizing that he used the word we instead of _I_. Duo smiled back and went on. "I figure, as long as were together, we'll get through whatever it is that comes up."

Hilde felt warmed by Duo assurance and confidence. So much so that without even thinking, she leaned down to him and planted a light kiss on his lips. Duo's eyes widened and Hilde, realizing what she had done, backed up away from him. Her eyes were just as wide and their surprised expressions were frozen on their faces. Despite their time together, their relationship had never been clearly defined. Right now, it seemed to be even more blurry. Hilde finally managed to blink rapidly and lift herself up. Duo, for the first time, was utterly speechless as Hilde seemed to panic somewhat. Without a word herself, Hilde quickly walked away with Duo still frozen in place, unaware that they were watched.

* * *

On the opposite side of the dwelling, Mariemaia sat outside with Whiteblaze nearby. After the battle, she was let outside, but only under the watchful eye of the white tiger while the other went out on their training exercises in the area. Yulie had just gone inside to get her something to eat, leaving her alone for a bit. As she waited, a faint voice echoed from the trees.

"Mariemaia..."

At first she thought it was her imagination. But when Whiteblaze perked his head up, she regarded it. Then it called to her again.

"Mariemaia..."

_'That voice...'_ Somehow, Mariemaia recognized the voice. Even though it was still faint, she seemed to know. Standing up Mariemaia entered the forest, following the voice as it grew lower and more distinct. Whiteblaze trailed behind her and soon they reached a clearing. In the midst of it was a lean figure, wearing a blue uniform. His eyes were somewhat covered in his brown hair, but the little girl's eyes widened in recognition.

"Father? Is that... really you?"

"Yes my dear." he replied. "It's me."

Mariemaia couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible, but there he was, plain as day before her. She vaguely remembered her father from her youth, but she remembered him regardless. She began to draw close to him, but was stopped by the growling of Whiteblaze.

"Whiteblaze? Don't worry. It's my father."

That didn't stop the white tiger from growling, but despite this, Trieze strode toward her, arms spread low. Mariemaia drew close as well but then a light shimmer from her chest. Stopping again, the young girl looked down and reached for the light. It was emitting from the Jewel of Light around her neck.

"The Jewel of Light!" Trieze exclaimed.

Mariemaia looked up at him and as soon as she did, the jewel let out a ray of light upon him. The resulting light revealed a dark visage surrounding the man. Also, a light image of armor was also reflected from the light around him as well. Mariemaia didn't know what to make of it, but the dark aura around Trieze showed her that something was wrong. She took a cautious step back, but Trieze advanced even faster, grabbing her wrist.

"I can't let you do that."

Looking up, she saw the cold look in his eyes, but she was too frozen in fear to realize it. Luckily, Whiteblaze came to the rescue, flying through the air toward him with a roar. Trieze glance up at the tiger and, releasing Mariemaia, he summoned his sub-armor and blasted Whiteblaze away. Whateblaze flew backward, but landed on his feet, growling still. Trieze was about to deal with him when two other figures emerged from behind the tiger.

"Hey Whiteblaze." Kento said. "What's the...whoa!"

Kento and Duo had come after everyone discovered that Mariemaia was gone. Hearing Whiteblaze's roars, they came in to check and happened upon the current situation. Duo was surprised for the second time that day, but he really wished that it was a different surprise.

"Treize Krusrenada...? But...I thought he was dead."

Trieze stared at the two. "No. But for you, that will soon be a fact."

Treize suddenly jumped up high into the air and a burst of energy flashed around him. When his body returned to the ground, he was no longer the Treize Khuserenada they knew before. He was now a reborn warrior, servant only to the will of Nanashi.

_Trieze of the Cyclone..._

The two warriors who watched this display shook out of their daze and set themselves for battle. Clasping their hand together, the two warriors cried in unison.

_"Armor of Hardrock! Tao Gi!"_

_"Armor of Hellfire! Tao Jitsu!"_

The two armor-bearers shone in their respective lights and their armors joined. When their weapons emerged, both fighters whirled them simultaneously as they set themselves, but Trieze was hardly fazed by their display and simply unfolded the bow on his back. Then with a quick motion, Trieze leveled the bow and armed it with several arrows. The Ronin and Celestial blinked in surprise as the arrows were let loose upon them. The two jumped aside while Whiteblaze grabbed Mariemaia and got out of way of the energized projectiles. Trieze fired endlessly on the two to them and they were unable to reach him. Kento grimaced as he barely dodged the next round of arrows.

_'Wow, he's faster then Rowen!'_

Meanwhile, Duo was running in the opposite direction, wondering how Trieze can manage to fire at both of them and keep them off balance. Looking at Trieze, he soon saw why. Though he was constantly firing arrows, it seemed that the arrows were being flown off in different directions by a column of wind that was whirling before him.

_'How the heck...?'_

Unfortunately, they failed to realize that Trieze wasn't just firing at them randomly. He was driving both of them toward each other in order to get them into one spot. And when the two looked up and saw each other, they realized it too.

"Oh, crap."

Trieze cracked a dark smile as he set a single arrow. The arrow began to fill with immense energy as Trieze targeted the two.

**_"Roc Diver!"_**

The arrow flared out and as it did, it sprouted wing and went into the form of a gigantic bird. The bird swarmed upon the two and although they held up their arms in defense, the power of the attack hurled them both away. Whiteblaze, who was still holding Mariemaia, was knocked down by the shockwave of the attack, causing him to release Mariemaia in the process. Rising up painfully from the ground, Mariemaia was confronted with the shadow of her father. Trieze curved his eye up briefly, seeing the distant approach of the other Ronins and Celestials. But they would never make in time. Looking back down, he placed a hand on Mariemaia and whispered to the young girl.

"You're mine. Just as it should be."

Then with a flash they were gone, leaving behind the fallen warriors and a large dark crater that was a testament to the power of the armor of Cyclone.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 18

"Treize is alive!"

Duo and Kento had recovered from their battle with the powerful Celestial and informed the others what had happened. As if it wasn't bad enough that Mariemaia was captured, they had just discovered that her captor was the long-believed dead former leader of the World Nation.

"Yeah I know what you're thinking." Duo replied. "But I saw him. And he was tough too."

"Trieze..." Wufei muttered. No one had to remind him of what he had done. It was him and his gundam that had stabbed the Tallgeese II, Trieze's mobile suit, through during their duel in the final battle of the Eve Wars. After that, the mobile suit exploded taking Trieze with it. Or so they had thought.

"Noin, Zechs and Treize." Dorothy muttered. "All they would need is Heero and Nanashi would have the cream of the crop."

"Hey, forget them." Kento blurted out. "What about Mariemaia? We have to go save her."

Kayura shook her head. "No."

"What do you mean no?" Ryo questioned. "We can't just let those creeps have her."

"Would you think about it?" Rowen reprimanded. "That's probably what Nanashi wants."

Ryo glared at him, but Kayura continued. "Yes. Our situation would be worse if he got his hands on another Celestial." Her eyes locked with his. "Or even one of you Ronins. As long as she bears the Jewel of Light, she will be safe."

"Safe?" Hilde replied. "Are you kidding me?"

Kayura answered her. "There's no other choice. The best thing you can do right now is continue your training. Despite your current strengths, you are not ready to face Nanashi now. Confrontation would mean certain doom."

"What about the armor of Inferno?" Yuli spoke out.

This caught the attention of the Celestials. "The armor of Inferno?" Duo questioned. "What's that?"

Mia answered him. "When the four Ronins give up their power to Ryo, he is able to summon the Inferno armor, a powerful weapon of immense strength. It was how they managed to defeat Talpa both times."

Kayura nodded, but then said. "But this is beyond Talpa now. I do not know if the Inferno armor can stand up to Nanashi. At best, it is our ace. But we can not put so much stress on you, Ryo. Especially now."

"I can manage it." Ryo said quietly.

"I don't doubt it. But it's best we we use all our options. If all else fails, then it may be up to you. But the Celestials have powers of their own and they were constructed for the threat of Nanashi for a reason. We must discover that reason and the only way to do that is if they reach their full potential."

"We should continue then." Trowa spoke.

"Yeah." Sage added. "The last thing we need right now is to be attacked again."

_

* * *

_

_'What happened?'_

The eyes of Mariemaia fluttered open into, allowing the girl to see only darkness. Somewhat... Mariemaia was in a darkened room with a white glowing sphere around her body. She stood up to her feet and tried to move, but the white field would not yield to her and held her inside. Panic began to fill her at first, but she drove it away from her mind.

"Where am I?" she cried out in the darkness.

"You're safe, my child."

From within the darkness, a tall figure stepped forward toward the lighted sphere.

"Father..." Mariemaia said softly. As before, he was dressed in his OZ military uniform. She couldn't really see his eyes clearly, but she knew they were as cold as before.

"Yes." he replied. "I had to get you away from them."

Mariemaia frowned. "I don't understand."

"They wanted to use you for your powers." he explained. "But I had to get you away before it was too late. I'm sorry I had to be so rough."

Mariemaia wanted to dismiss him, but the softness in his voice made her feel otherwise. "But I thought you..."

"Yes." he said, knowing what she was going to say. "But Nanashi saved me just before that could happen." His tone turned icy. "The Celestial Wufei tried to murder me and almost did when Nanashi rescued me."

Mariemaia frowned once again. She may have been young, but she knew more than enough about the ways of war. Those who was killed in battle were never considered murdered. Trieze would have known that better than anybody

"It was a war."

Trieze blinked at her reasoning and then sighed. "That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you are safe. You can even help us."

"Help you? How?"

Trieze moved closer. "The powers you possess can help us create a new world. A world where all are free. With Nanashi's help, we can era in a new world, just as I tried to do before, but sadly failed."

Mariemaia noticed his approach and began to lift her hand in an effort to touch him. But now she could see his eyes clearly enough to see to coldness still present. She wanted to believe that this was her father, but she could just feel that something was wrong. Dropping her arm, she turned aside.

"No. I don't believe you."

Trieze lowered his head, seemingly sadly. "No. I suppose not. But perhaps this individual may convince you."

_'This individual?'_ Mariemaia turned back and Trieze moved aside and another figure emerged from the darkness. Mariemaia's eyes widened as she saw who it was.

gasp!

* * *

"Dorothy..." 

After the general meeting, Quatre stepped out of the dwelling and found Dorothy alone, looking out into the horizon. He guessed that she was troubled since the new of Mariemaia's kidnapping, but if that were true, she hid it well despite her earlier remark inside

"I have to return and tell Une what happened."

Quatre moved beside her, still trying to figure her out. He didn't know what she felt about knowing that Treize was still alive, but she must have been at least unnerved by hearing it. But again, she didn't show it. Rather, she focused her mind on a particular task.

"Okay."

"What? You're going to take me?" Though her question seemed like she was surprised, her tone said otherwise.

"Is there a problem?" Quatre asked.

Dorothy closed her eyes and smiled. "I just figured that you didn't trust me. After all, I did stab you aboard Libra, remember?"

"Yes. But that was a long time ago."

Shaking her head, she turned to the desert Celestial. "Kind until the end, eh Mr. Winner? Very well. You may escort me"

Quatre moved in front of her and began creating a small bubble. Then with a flash, the two of them shot up the air and into the mortal realm.

* * *

"Come forth, Nitari."

From the midst of the chamber, an armored form materialized in before Nanashi's presence. The figure remained bent down on his knee before the spectral lord.

"I am here, master."

"Now that we posses one of the Jewels, the Ronins and Celestials will work hard in order to save the bearer. Judging by the way they fought before, they will attempt to train on their own to forge their powers further."

Nitari remained still. "What are your orders?"

A smile could be felt creasing over Nanashi's unseen face. "You will bring them to me."


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 19

Earth

Quatre and Dorothy materialized on the rooftop of one of the buildings in the city. Looming just a couple of blocks away was Preventor Headquarters, their destination.

"Back to the warrior's paradise…" Dorothy whispered to herself.

Quatre however managed to hear her. "What do you mean by that, Miss Dorothy?"

Dorothy sighed. "I may have changed my ways, Mr. Winner. But that doesn't change one simple fact about the human race."

"And what's that?"

"As long as humans exist, there will always be battles."

"Miss Dorothy…" Now it was Quatre's turn to sigh. "I would rather think about the part of human that strives for a way to avoid conflict."

Dorothy turned away and smiled. This was beginning to sound like their last conversation. Of course, they were both changed from that and Dorothy knew that Quatre wasn't naïve. At least not that much…

"You know, you don't always have to act so kind, Quatre." She then giggled. "Oh, wait. I suppose you can't help that." Turning to him… "At the very least, there's no need to be formal."

"Dorothy. I…"

Quatre cut short however and his eyes wavered off to the side. Dorothy did as well, seeing the mist that seemed to appear out of nowhere. And she had already been through this once enough to know what this meant.

"Let me guess. We have company."

True enough, Dynasty soldiers all materialized around them, also blocking off the stairway. Quatre calculated the odds and they were bad. Really bad.

"We can't stay here." Quatre said, backing up a bit.

Dorothy backed up into him. "I'm open to options."

She was suddenly surprised when Quatre whirled around, picked her up, jumped high up into the air and over the side of the building. Dorothy was too stunned by Quatre's actions to even be scared and Quatre landed softly on the grounds below. Quatre sighed in relief, glad that his armor protected both of them, but that was soon gone when Dynasty soldiers poured out of the building. Quatre placed Dorothy down and stood ready to fight. They weren't out of danger, but at least they weren't surrounded.

"I guess you guys leave me with no choice. Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!"

Warrior's paradise…

* * *

Dojo Dwelling

Mia and Sally were both doing a diligent search on their laptops, with a connection cord between them in order to double the search. Mia sighed a bit and looked over to the side to see Ryo walking out of the next room and heading outside.

"Ryo, where are you going?" she called out to him.

"I'm going out to train with the others."

"No Ryo." Mia stood up from her seat. "You really should get some more rest."

"Mia, I can't." Ryo protested. "Any longer and I won't be strong enough to help the others."

"But Ryo…"

Kayura suddenly intervened. "Wildfire is right, Mia. He needs to be stronger if he is to defeat Nanashi."

"Are you sure?"

Ryo grinned lightly. "Yeah. I've recovered from worse. Remember that battle with Talpa?"

"Nanashi stronger than Talpa." the woman retorted. She then added softly. "I just don't want you to push yourself too hard."

At that point, Whiteblaze let out a low growl and strode up beside him. Ryo smiled and reach down to pet the tiger.

"See? Whiteblaze will be with me, so you don't have to worry, okay?"

"I guess you're right." Mia smiled in quiet resignation. "Take care of him, Whiteblaze."

"Come on boy. Let's go."

The pair soon dashed out the dwelling and disappeared in a flash of light. Mia watched as they disappeared and sighed. Kayura strode up beside her, facing the same direction.

"You're quite concerned over Wildfire."

"I just don't want him to get hurt. He's done so much for us already."

Sally, who had been watching the scene from the sidelines, smiled faintly as she got back to work.

"Quite concerned… She sounds like Relena."

* * *

Forest, Earth

Within the thicket of forestry and in the center of a clearing, Trowa was kneeling on the ground. Since he knew no where else to really go to train, he chose the same place as before. He felt different here, in these woods. He wasn't sure if it was because of the armor or not, but something inside made him feel more alive, more purposeful than he had in recent times. That wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy the time he spent with his sister in the circus, but this just felt so new and yet familiar. 'I hope everyone is okay' he thought, remembering the fire that had come up due to Noin's presence. Shaking the thought aside, he stood up, but kept his eyes closed in order to allow the armor's power to slowly flood through him. As he did, the symbol of Kaichou –Harmony- shimmered lightly on his forehead. The peace of the woods seemed to amplify his strength through this trait. But a flutter of wings from some birds nearby disturbed him out of his trance and caused him to open his eyes. But it wasn't the birds that disturbed him. Rather, it was what disturbed the birds.

"Celestial of Harmony, prepare to die."

Trowa quickly jumped high into the air as a crack echoed out from behind and a whip snapped out and shattered the grassy floor where he once was. Trowa continued upward until he settled himself on the branch of one of the trees. Looking forward, Trowa was face to face with his assailant. It was an armored creature, the same as the Dynasty warriors that attacked him before except that this one was shape like a female. A barbed whip hung loosely at her side.

"You're quite nimble, aren't you? Or is that just being jittery?"

Trowa simply narrowed his eyes and the creature continued speaking. "Ah, the silent one. Well, allow me to introduce myself. I am Nitari, the shadow assassin of Nanshi." The whip twitched lightly and Trowa jumped out of the way as he suddenly flung her arm, lashing it out at him and shattering the branch. Trowa literally shot above the treetops and crossed his arms.

"Armor of Tempest. Tao Kaichou!"

The armor cloth unfurled around him and shattered above, raining down on him and forming the complete armor of Tempest. Trowa of Tempest landed on the tree branch and set his quarterstaff in attack position. Nitari dashed across from where she was, screaming aloud and lashing her whip out again. Trowa lifted his staff in defense and the whip cracked against it. With the whip retracting, Trowa now made is move to attack, leaping of the branches and directly at her. Nitari leaped up as the staff hit the tree hard, causing it to shake from the impact. Above, Nitari lashed her whip again and now it was Trowa's turned to jump out of the way again. Trowa landed on a nearby tree and rebounded off, heading into the air again. On seeing his approach, Nitari whirled around, letting her whip follow. Trowa lifted his staff to it and the whip wrapped around it, linking the two warriors together. Landing on the treetops, the two dashed around, trying to pull the other into the tree in an effort to regain their weaponry. When they finally reached the ground, Nitari snapped her arm, causing the whip to loosen and retract to her side.

"Impressive, for a Celestial." Nitari laughed. "But now fun and games are over."

Nitari lifted her whip and Trowa made ready for another attack, but Nitari didn't attack. Rather, she waved the whip around her body, letting it encircle her. The whip barbs began to glow and then separated from the whip itself. The barbs floated around and slowly began to form into new shapes. Trowa was now faced with seven images of Nitari, all armed with whips of their own.

"I would say beg for mercy, but I wouldn't accept it anyway. Hahaha!"

* * *

Smack!

A Dynasty soldier was knocked away after being hit in the face by one of Quatre's nunchuku. The soldier continued the press and Quatre lunged into the battle. Leaping up into the air, Quatre lashed out again, kicking another in the chest and then followed up by waving both arm out to the side, causing both nunchucku to fly outward and floor several other minions. As they fought, Dorothy watch transfixed on the side. She had just realized that she had never seen Quatre fight like this. But despite that, his were the same as when they had fought on Libra. That distant expression that showed his sadness and regret over fighting, yet also showed his determination to end it as quickly as possible.

"Dorothy, get as far away from here as you can."

Dorothy complied and began to move away, but a score of soldiers leapt off the rooftop and crashed right before her, blocking her path.

"Dorothy!"

Breaking away from his current combat, Quatre dashed over to where Dorothy had been cornered. Again, Dorothy searched for an escape route and began to dash inside a nearby building. But one of the soldiers hurled a hooked chain at her, blocking the entrance and her escape. Dorothy stopped short and another whirled its chain around to capture her. Only this one was knocked aside by the incoming Quatre, who wailed in on them and broke a path through.

"Come on!"

Dorothy had already seen the path though and was well through it as Quatre held them off. But one of the soldiers emerged from around the side and hurled a spear at her. Quatre didn't see if the spear hit her directly. But the accompanied scream and fall was more than enough. Breaking away again, he moved over to Dorothy's fallen body.

"Dorothy…Dorothy…" He moved his hands away from her, showing the blood that now stained his armored hands. Memories of his father's death flashed over in his mind. Trembling with rage, Quatre returned his attention to the soldiers who were all charging at him. Wisps of hot air swirled around him as he connected the two nunchuku together. A wide black circle formed underneath the soldier, causing them to stop in their charge. Lifting the nunckuku high, Quatre cried aloud. "Armor of Dune! Gaia's Wrath!"

Slamming the nunchuku down on the imprisoning circle, a blast of white energy shot up like a volcano eruption and crumbled everything around them. The surrounding buildings shattered completely under the might and the Dynasty warriors were all vaporized in the heated blast. Quatre stood in the debris in silence for a long while, looking at what used to be a city block but now nothing but debris and shattered ruins.

"Wha…What have I done?"

* * *

"Ah, finally."

"What is it?"

"Data on the Starlight Swords." Mia told Sally. "Grandfather must have had a hard time with this one."

Sally got up from her station and moved over beside Mia. "What does it say?"

"Not much. Just some scattered histories on it. Stories of how the sword was once one and then became two. For it to be one, a soul of purity is needed. And the swords will continue to search for a way to become one again."

"Does that mean that this sword chose you?" asked Kayura after hearing Mia exclamation from the other room.

"It would appear so. You were right when you said that it is attracted to the purity of people." She then pondered aloud. "But that doesn't explain why I only received only one of the blades."

"Perhaps the second one has found someone else." Sally suggested.

Kayura mused to herself. 'All we have to do now is find out who.'

* * *

Trowa grit his teeth as he stood facing the now eight warriors, all the same creature. Their whips twitched around lightly as the dark warrior chuckled at the lone Celestial.

"Eight against one. Kind of makes you wish your friends were here, doesn't it? Well, that not going to happen. And by the time they figure out there's something wrong, it will be far too late. So let this end now!"

In a flash, all eight Nitari's jumped all over the place and lashed out at him. Trowa skipped back repeatedly to avoid the whiplashes they were all lashing out at him. 'If I am to survive this, I must go on the offensive.' That was easier said than done, as they all were lashing out at him in sequence, keeping him on the defensive and in retreat. The Nitaris continued to press their attacks, lashing out with their whips and tearing up the forestry. Trowa reared his arm back, readying his attack, but paused. The Nitaris were all over the place. It would by pointless to unleash his full power if he didn't get the right one. He had to narrow it down to the right one and fast.

"Come back, Tempest." Nitari taunted. "We're not done playing."

Two of them shot up into the trees and rushed over him while two other dashed over the side. The four remaining ones charged at him head on and Trowa steadied himself for the attack.

'When attacking a small amount of enemies, surround the target and destroy the enemy.'

Remembering this and the swarming Nitaris, Trowa changed tactics, rushing toward them instead. Spinning his staff, Trowa jumped as the first one cracked her whip. While airborne, Trowa waved his staff to deflect the remaining whiplashes. Now diving in, Trowa smashed his staff down, causing them to retreat except for one, who was caught by the smashing attack. But the creature simply faded away and what hit the ground was a metal barb, one of the barbs that were attached to the original Nitari's whip. Before he could ponder this, his back was struck with several lashes, causing him to be knocked to the floor. The Nitari's all assembled behind him, all laughing at him.

"Aw, Tempest fall down and hurt himself? Khehehe!"

Trowa slowly rose up, fighting the stinging pain he felt on his back. It hurt badly, but he knew this was probably the best-case scenario. If he had allowed them to surround him as before, he wouldn't be getting up at all. And now he had reduced the numbers to seven. But he couldn't fight all of them this way. He had to find the real one.

The real one…

Looking on the ground back at the barb, it had suddenly occurred to him. If all except one were made of these barbs, then only one would be different from the rest. Standing up again, Trowa closed his eyes and used his armor's power and element.

Spirit…

The Nitaris looked at him with confusion at first and then spread out to attack again. Trowa remained still, using his armor still to sense out the real Nitari. As they closed in, Trowa began to struggle. They all felt dark to him so he couldn't pick it out. Then he realized again. 'I have to search for the darkest one…' With this in mind, Trowa continued his search. Meanwhile, the Nitaris closed in and attacked. Trowa's eyes flashed open and spinning his staff, he deflected the lashes at him. All except for one, that caught his leg. Trowa bent down again and two Nitaris flew at him. What they didn't know was that Trowa was still using his senses and had detected to true Nitari.

'Right.'

The two Nitaris lashed their whips out at him. Trowa sidestepped the first lash and jumped up into the air, flying past the true Nitari.

"Deception is a powerful weapon, but it's not infallible."

Nitari's crimson eyes widened as Trowa whirled around in the air and summoned his full power, his quarterstaff spinning and gathering energy. Lots of it.

Whirling staff; gather lightining, wave it down

"Armor of Tempest! Thunder Storm!"

Waving the staff, Trowa targeted the Nitari on the left and unleashed his power. Nitrai was shocked that Trowa was able to discern which one was her and as the thunder wave crashed down on her, she admitted defeat.

"You win, this time! Guaahhhhh!"

The light blast erupted through the forest and into the skies. But as the energy flew up, a figure watched on from the skies above. It was Nitari. The real Nitari…

"Most impressive, Celestial. It's fortunate. Sarenbo's trick was quite useful in getting your powers out. That's two down and four to go. Hehehe…"


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chap. 20

Preventor HQ

In one of the medical rooms of the building, Quatre stood by the bed that held an unconscious Dorothy. After the explosion, Preventor troops arrived at the scene to find out what had happened, only to see Quatre walking out of the rubble with an injured and unconscious Dorothy in his arms. Proceeding to Preventor Headquarters, Quatre met up with Lady Une to deliver the bad news.

"What!"

"It's true. Trieze Khurenada is alive and working with Nanashi."

"But that's…impossible."

"I'm afraid it's quite possible. Not only that, but he's taken Mariemaia as well."

"…Can you leave me for a moment?"

"…Sure."

Quatre could literally feel the woman's shock and despair. In one moment, she had found out that her former commander was alive, only to be working for Nanashi and reclaiming his daughter in the process. Quatre sensed that her feelings on the matter were deep, but he couldn't really focus on it. He was more concerned about the welfare of Dorothy. 'This…is all my fault.' Despite his power, he was unable to save her. And instead, he had unleashed that power on the city itself. Luckily, the area was abandoned, so no one got hurt. But that didn't make Quatre feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse. 'What if someone was in the area? What if someone had gotten hurt, or even killed?' It would have been his doing.

Just like with the Zero…

Quatre shook his head at the memory, but the feelings remained. Duo had once said that if left alone for too long, Quatre would blame himself for everything. But Quatre couldn't help it, especially in this case.

"Ms. Dorothy…" Quatre lowered his head to her. The only person he felt was just as kind as he was and this is what happens. It hurt him that the people he cared about had always gotten hurt, either directly or indirectly by his actions. But Trowa had once taught him, that he had to accept everything around him, good or bad. In this case, bad…

Meanwhile, Lady Une sat alone in her office, in deep despair. She would have thought that hearing news of Trieze being alive would have made her happy. But in truth, she didn't know what to feel. He had taken Mariemaia, whom she cared for. But it was his daughter, right? Her feelings were so jumbled up right now. Betrayal, longing, gladness, guilt, but especially confusion. Perhaps she had finally moved on, believing him to be truly dead. She had witnessed his suit explode, and him along with it. But that didn't stop Noin, who had believed Zechs was still alive and that proved true. But that was different, wasn't it? That wasn't important now. What was important was what she would do now.

"Mr. Trieze…"

--------

'Well, I've always wanted to go to Hawaii.'

On Earth, Duo had teleported himself to a remote volcano location within the Hawaiian Islands. Just in the background, a volcano brewed silently as the Celestial began to make his way to it. Since his armor is derived from fire, he thought it best to try and use it in such an area. His armor would protect him and grow stronger in it, but even so, he was a bit nervous and hoped that the fiery mountain didn't explode on him.

'Well, time to get to work.'

As he made his way closer, he began to think over his training plan. It wasn't hard to pull in the armor's power. On the contrary, that seemed simple. But when he unleashed his armor's full power, he felt a great strain on his body, so much so, that he nearly lost control. He would have to learn how to control this power. 'The last thing I need is to blow myself up. That's Heero's gig, heh.'

"Celestial of Kindness, prepare to die!"

Duo snapped his head around and leaped back as a set of nearly invisible shirkens struck him and shattered the ground instead. Landing, Duo was faced with the armored form of Nitari.

"Whoa, I don't recall asking for a haircut. Although I could use a bit off the top."

"Save the jokes, Hellfire." the Dynasty warrior snapped. "They will not save you."

Duo shook his head. "No sense of humor, huh? Well, in that case…" He lifted his arms and cried. "Armor of Hellfire! Tao Jitsu!"

An explosion of energy erupted from his body and looms of cloth spiraled into the air. The cloth exploded into fragments with sprinkled onto Duo and formed into the true armor of Hellfire. Duo reached back for his scythe and held it forward and unnoticed to him, his face armor was active.

"That's better. Now we can have our play."

Nitari leaped to the air and swung out another line of shirkens. Duo twirled his scythe, deflecting them with ease. In return, Duo jumped up as Nitari landed and he brought his scythe in to bear. Nitari dashed back as Duo's scythe blazed across, creating a trail of fire behind it. Duo quickly recoiled and swung again, causing Nitari to roll away before being cut in two. Standing up, Nitari unfurled her barbed whip and lashed it at Duo's leg, wrapping it around. Duo set his feet down deep into the ground, and to Nitrai's surprise it remained in place.

'What?'

With a shout, Duo brought his scythe down, severing the whip in a flash of flame. Nitari tumbled down and looked up to see the dark Celestial flying high with the curved weapon reared back. Nitari rolled in near panic as the scythe bore down and tore open the ground. Sprouts of lava gusted out and sprinkled over Duo, but none of it harmed him. Nitari growled. 'His armor is getting even stronger.' Duo then began to twirl his scythe, summoning up heat waves around him. Parts of the area erupted with lava as Duo began summoning his full power.

"Armor of Hellfire! Demon Gate!"

The circle of fire formed within the spinning blade and in a flash, a torrent of dark flames and fire blasted out, incinerating the entire terrain in front of him and causing the blast to curve up into the air as though the volcano itself erupted. The attack ended and Duo took a good look at the results. Nitari was gone, apparently destroyed by the attack. Duo moved over until he reached the edge, looking down at the water, which was boiling from his attack.

"Well, when I'm hot, I'm hot."

Suddenly, the water shot up at him and his arm was gripped with…a whip? Before he realized it, he was pulled off the cliff edge and into the water. Duo struggled to loosen the weapon's hold on him, but he was unable to get loose as Nitari reeled him in.

"Look at what I've caught. A Celestial."

Duo blinked at seeing that she had survived. When the attack came, Nitari dove off into the waters behind, escaping the destructive power and buying some time to retaliate. Duo strained to remove the whip, but it held on. Strangely, all the power he had seemed to have fled from him now and Duo soon realized why. On the surface, Duo had to clear advantage as he was near his element of fire. But now that he was underwater, he was in major trouble. His armor was still protecting him, preventing him from drowning undersea, but his power was greatly diminished here.

"Now you're mine."

Duo growled and struggled further, but seeing that he wasn't getting loose, looked around for another way out. He caught sight of his scythe sinking in and reached out for it. But Nitari had other ideas and pulled him away from the sinking weapon and toward her.

"Yahhh!"

Nitari dragged him though the water, swimming on and dragging him across the bedrock floor. Duo groaned at he was dragged on until finally Nitari finally stopped and whirled around, her opposite hand holding yet another set of shirken. Flicking her arm, she sent the shirkens at him and they darted through the water and ripped across Duo's armor with a hiss. v"Guah!"

Nitari laughed. "Your armor is useless. And you are too far away from shore to regain you powers." Another set of shirkens appeared in her hand. "There's no escape for you."

Shhhkkkkkkkk!

"Guuahhh!"

--------

"Duo!"

From a lonely area within the colonies, Hilde's head snapped upward toward the air. She sensed a disturbance. Very strong…very far…Earth… She didn't know how she knew this, but one thing was for certain. Duo was in trouble. Her armor reacted unconsciously and before she realized it, she became engulfed in a sphere of light and flew off into the sky.

--------

Nether Realm

In the darkened chamber, the shadowy form of Nanashi watched as Nitari got to work on Duo, hammering him with all variety of attacks. 'Nitari is serving her purpose well.' Already she had managed to force two Celestials into using their powers to the full, both alone and through use of the Dynasty soldiers. And if she destroyed any of them, then so much the better.

"Soon, they will come to me. And soon, they will all be extinguished."

The space before Nanashi suddenly shifted into further darkness for a moment and then the silver-haired form of Zechs shimmered before her.

"Master."

"What is it?"

The icy Celestial answered without delay. "I wish to assist Nitari in forcing the Celestials to their limit."

Nanashi's glowing eyes narrowed. "Do you? I sense your thoughts, Arctic. The one called Reflections…" The eyes narrowed again in an unseen smile. "You wish to face him in battle."

"Yes, master." "Very well." Nanshi responded. "He is in your hand."

--------

"Nhhuuahh!"

Duo was hurled thrugh the water and onto the bedrock while Nitari floated overhead, chuckling at the fallen Celestial. Duo struggled to rise, but he was having great difficulty. The shirkens had almost tore him apart until he finally managed to break loose from her whip and sink away. But Nitari was swift in the water and she attacked him repeatedly, both with shirkens and the two daggers she was wielding now.

"What's the matter, Hellfire?" Nitari taunted as she landed a slashing blow across his chest armor, "Not having fun?"

Quite the opposite, Duo was getting beaten to death. Nitari's attacks had created numerous slashes across his armor and his strength was severely drained. He was too far away from land to even thinking about making a swim for it. Nitari was too fast and every time he tried, she would bring him down. He needed an edge. And then he saw it. Just a foot away from him was his fallen scythe, partially buried in the bedrock. Given Nitari's strength, it probably wouldn't do much good. 'But it sure beats being a sitting duck.' Duo made a dive for it and Nitari, seeing this, launched another set of shirkens. Duo reached for his weapons, but the shirkens stabbed into his back and with another cry, Duo hit the bedrock and lay still. Nitari swam around behind him, daggers in hand.

"I didn't think it would be this easy to destroy one of you." she crackled as she approached. Twirling her weapons, she lifted them up. "No matter. One less to deal with later."

Suddenly, Duo sprang up from the ground and swung his now reclaimed scythe up, nearly rendering Nitari in half. The Dynasty warrior managed to back away in time, but in a reflexive block, she had lost her daggers in the slash. Nitari snarled as Duo faced her, now on his feet.

"Foolish boy! Now you die!"

Her whip came in her hand and with a sharp snap, she hit Duo with a deadly lash that literally ripped through the water. The scythe was knocked from his hands and Duo was hurled back, his chest now sporting an open gash from the whip. Duo was unmoving on the ground, seemingly dead, but Nitari didn't want to take any chances and took out another set of shirkens to finish him off permanently.

"Stop!"

Nitari halted at the sound of the new voice and a splash from above alerted her attention. It was a ball of energy and it shot straight in between her and Duo before materializing into the armored form of Hilde of Crystal.

"What is this?"

Hilde gripped her katanas in hand. "Back off, now."

Nitari narrowed her eyes and lashed her whip back in readiness. "And what do you think you're going to do? You can't save him. He's already dead."

Hilde's eyes narrowed and in a flash, she charged. Nitari swung forward, her whip slicing through the water. But Hilde managed to nimbly avoid the attack and continued her approach. Behind her, Duo's eyes slowly opened. Though his vision was a bit blurry (both from the injuries and the water), he could make out the dark form of Nitari and the shimmering armor of Hilde. 'Hilde? What…are you doing here?' Of course, he was too fatigued to even ask that question and during which he couldn't distract Hilde from the battle anyway. Not that that seemed to matter either. Hilde was doing more than holding her own in this fight.

She was winning…

Nitari rushed back to get away from the attacking Celestial. Unlike before with Duo, Hilde wasn't suffering from the adverse effects of the environment and her armor remained in power. More so, it seemed that now Hilde was getting stronger in this battle. 'The water' Nitari figured. 'Her armor must be powered by water. But if I can remove her from it, just as I removed Hellfire from his element, then she will be at my mercy.' With this in mind, Nitari set up her plan as Hilde charged once more. Nitari pulled out another set of shirkens and sent then at her. Hilde dodged the projectile, but they weren't the target and when the weapon hit the floor, they exploded, sending dirt flying up over Hilde and temporarily blinding her. Nitari soon soared high and splashed out of the water and into the air. Her whip was whirling high above and as it was, it began to glow brightly. Hilde managed to jump out of the smokescreen and out of the water.

'So predictable. That will be your downfall.'

"Shadow Stinger!"

The whip cracked out and soared at the flying Hilde. It went so fast that the hit wasn't even seen. Rather, a giant explosion erupted where Hilde was, causing the waters to part. Nitari landed on top of the water and looked up as the explosion cleared. Shards of material twinkled in the light on the aftermath of the attack and Nitari shook her head.

"All that power gone to waste."

But Nitari was then surprised when she looked lower down. There, also on the water top, was Hilde. She was standing on a block of ice, which floated on the water. 'But how? How could she have taken such a hit?' Looking back up, she saw that the shards that was falling from the sky was in fact pure ice. 'She created an ice shield to deflect my attack?'

Hilde crossed her swords together. At this, a blast of cold air shimmered out of them and began flash-freezing the water. Nitari watched with further shock as her leg were caught up in the ice as well, trapping her. 'How is she able to freeze the waters of the ocean? I've underestimated her!' The ice continued and Hilde pulled back her arm and blades.

"Armor of Crystal! Arctic Flame!"

She waved the sword forward, unleashing a blast of cold energy, freezing Nitari solid. But the attack wasn't finished and the ice shimmered and then exploded in a blast of white light, causing the waters to erupt as well and leaving Nitari no chance of escape.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Nitari now no more, Hilde turned and re-entered the watery depths of the ocean. Underneath it, Duo was slowly rising to his feet, but falling in the process. Hilde dove beside him and lifted his arm over her shoulder.

"I've got you, Duo."

Duo lifted his head to her, but it fell back down again weakly. So he was only able to whisper a thanks to her before she lifted him out of the water and toward the land in order for him to recover. The fires from the volcano should be enough to heal him, she realized. But what Hilde hadn't realized that, ever since she heard Duo's call for help, her virtue had been glowing brightly on her forehead as well as the forehead of her helmet armor. The virtue of Ai -Love-

--------

Preventor HQ

Quatre slowly strode out of the massive building in ready to leave for the Nether Realm. As much as he hated to leave like this, he felt he couldn't face Lady Une now and that it would be better if he left quietly. But apparently, not quiet enough and Lady Une called out to him from behind.

"Quatre, wait." The blond Celestial turned to her as she caught up and spoke. "I'm going with you."

"Ms. Une?"

"I promised to protect and take care of Mariemaia." Her gaze hardened. "I must go."

Despite her determined gaze, Quatre began to question. "But what about…?"

But Une cut him off. "The Preventors can handle things without me for a while. And Dorothy will be okay here as well. She just needs some rest to recover." She then repeated. "But I need to go."

Quatre finally relented and gave a light smile, "Very well. Let's go."


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 21

Heero really didn't care where he trained at, but he wanted it out of the way. An abandoned colony seemed to suit him best. It took him a bit to set up the life-support systems on a small portion of the colony, but it was enough for his training. Heero walked out onto the empty street, his sub-armor already active upon him. After a minute of walking, he stopped in the middle of the street and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure where to start in his training. Unlike the others, his element didn't seem to be anything definite. Fire, ice, water, light… his wasn't anything of the sort. Therefore, he would just have to figure things on his own.

'No problem there.'

But there was a problem, for Heero sensed a chill presence that was enveloping the entire area. His eye open and he saw the cold whips of air that was coming from his breathing. He had long known who it was.

Zechs

"It seems that we are destined to constantly battle with each other, Heero."

Heero slowly turned around to face his opponent and constant rival. Zechs was standing a good distance away, wearing his Preventor uniform. But Heero knew better as Zechs continued speaking.

"But this time, it won't be with mobile suits or gundams."

"It doesn't make a difference to me." Heero replied back.

His eyes-cold eyes narrowed. "Heero, why not take the side of Nanshi? You would be a perfect warrior for my master."

"Us team up? That proves that you are crazy." "Is that your answer? Very well, Reflections." Cold winds suddenly whipped up from around Zechs, lashing at Heero who remained unfazed. "You will now see the error of your ways. Tao Kitan!"

"Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!"

Both warriors exploded in flashes of light and moments later, they reappeared, each as Celestial Warriors. Heero of Reflections and Zechs of the Arctic. Heero wasted no time in unsheathing two of his katanas, but Zechs didn't move…yet.

"I know that you are here to learn to utilize the full power of your armor. Unfortunately, you will not get the chance. Rah!"

Zechs leaped high up into the air, unsheathed his sole saber and lashed out with a blast of cold energy. Heero crossed his blades together as the chill energy took sudden effect, walling them both in a dome of solid ice. Zechs landed on the ground, a dark grin on his face.

"Now you'll fight on my terms, Heero. And as long as you are here, the temperature will drop. Eventually, even a person like you will succumb to it, while my armor grows stronger." He held his saber in stance. "Now Heero, en garde!"

---------------------------------

Kayura had just left Duo behind in his room to recover. When both he and Hilde returned, Duo was cared for by Sally. He had suffered injuries, but they weren't severe. He had mostly suffered from great physical strain and fatigue and she suggested that all he needed was rest. Hilde related to the two of them of what had occurred and Nitari's defeat. Kayura had simply nodded at that and left, realizing that her power had not come from her armor, but from her virtue. Kayura let a small smile drift on her face briefly. She didn't know the two of them well, but this obviously showed that there was a strong bond already between them. 'She needs only to master her armor's power and she will become a formidable warrior.'

A flash from outside caught her attention and for a moment, Kayura's mind went into battle mode. She relaxed a moment later, seeing who it was. Quatre and Dorothy. Only, the second figure wasn't Dorothy at all. It was a taller woman, with long brown hair.

"Quatre, you're back." Kayura welcome, not taking her eyes of Une. "And you've brought a guest as well."

"This is Lady Une." Quatre politely introduced. "She's Mariemaia's guardian and she wanted to come in order to help." When Kayura remained silent, Quatre questioned. "Is something wrong, Lady Kayura?"

"…No. No, nothing is wrong."

Une meanwhile, looked around the place she was in, feeling the strange aura in the air all around. "I don't know what kind of world this is, but I want to help to get Mariemaia back in any way I can."

"Of course, Lady Une. Come in."

The two walked past her and into the dwelling to meet with the others. However, Kayura couldn't stop staring at Lady Une. The Preventor commander had power, power that Kayura sensed almost immediately.

Great power…

---------------------------

"Hey Duo. You're finally awake."

The eyes of the dark Celestial warrior blinked opened to see the young girl over him. "…Hilde?"

"Don't try to move." She placed and hand on his shoulder. "You haven't fully recovered yet."

Duo moaned inwardly, feeling the soreness and pain in his body. "Tell me about it. That Dynasty chick sure fights viscously."

Hilde smiled. "Don't worry. I took care of her."

"Really?" The faded moments of the battle came back to his mind. "I guess all that training paid off for you, huh?"

"Actually… I don't think that's what happened."

Duo blinked. "Huh?"

Hilde lowered her head. "I hadn't trained all that much…and…truthfully, I'm not sure how I beat her or even how I got there. All I did was hear you calling for help and the next thing I knew, I was there fighting."

"Well…that sounds weird."

She looked back at him. "Weird?"

"Not so much weird. I…um." His eyes wavered up and to the side in thought and after a brief minute. "I guess I don't know how to put it."

"I guess it is a little odd." Hilde said with a shrug. "But then again, it all is."

"Well…I guess I owe you one, Hilde." Duo said with a smile.

"Don't worry about it, really."

It was then that she noticed that her hand was still placed on his shoulder. Looking back at Duo, she saw that he noticed it as well, but said nothing about. It was as if…he was enjoying this closeness. Hilde's smile seemed to grow and their eyes were locked on each other.

"Duo. What happened to you?"

It was at that point that Quatre had entered the room. Hilde backed away, her face slightly red, while Duo groaned when she pushed back off of him.

"Not much." he said with a low moan while answering Quatre's question. "Just ran into one of Nanshi's goons and almost got shredded." He looked over his shoulder. "So how was your honeymoon with Dorothy?"

Duo expected his friend to retort instantly with denial. But instead, Quatre face became sad and his eyes and head lowered to the ground.

"What's wrong?"

Quatre went on to relate what had happened when he and Dorothy returned to Earth. The battle, Dorothy's injuries and Lady Une's arrival.

"Wow, that rough." Hilde replied after Quatre finished the story. Quatre simply looked away and stood off to the side. Duo took this in and turned to Hilde. "Hey, do you think you can give us a moment?"

Hilde nodded and left the room, while Duo looked back at Quatre. He recognized that look. Something more happened than Quatre had told him.

"There's something else, isn't there, Quatre?"

Quatre did turn to look at him and Duo guessed that it was major. A moment of silence passed before Quatre finally spoke.

"I…I used my armor….I used its power."

Duo frowned, not really understanding the problem. "I don't get it. You were attacked, right?"

"Yeah. But, I…I unleashed its full power…with my anger. I was out of control."

"I see…" Duo could fill in the blanks at what happened. "Quatre, you can't let that get you down. You were just trying to protect Dorothy, right?"

"Yeah, but I could have hurt someone." Images of his time in Wing Zero entered his mind once again. "If the area wasn't already abandoned…"

"But it was. There's no sense in beating yourself over it." Duo cut in softly. "Just watch out next time."

Quatre simply remained quiet.

------------------------

Shranngg!

The blades of both warriors clashed loudly as Heero and Zechs continued their battle in the frozen dome. True to Zechs' words, the temperature was dropping, causing more of the area to freeze. Stacilites of ice grew all around them and the very weapons they wielded began to freeze as well, showing shards of ice all over them. After a powerful slash from Zechs, Heero jumped back.

"It's beginning to affect you, isn't it." Zechs sneered. "The cold…Already I can see your movements slowing down."

Heero kept his emotionless mask, but he knew Zechs had a point. The cold was beginning to slow him down. Even with his training as a soldier and the armor protecting him somewhat, the temperature was affecting him. He had to break out of this place first.

Zechs charged in attack, saber held to the side as he slashed down on Heero. Heero deflected the strike and with his other sword, quickly retaliated. But his movements were a bit slow and Zechs was able to parry the incoming slash and shove his body in to push Heero down. Heero let out a grunt of pain and then quickly sprung away just as Zechs saber came down, missing him by inches and causing the ground to freeze. Heero jumped up high, flipped in the air and kicked off the ice wall to propel himself at Zechs. Zechs saw his approach and ducked his slash. Heero pressed on with another one, this time with both blades. Zechs jumped back and like Heero, he hit the ice wall. However, instead of springing off immediately, Zechs dashed across the ice, circling Heero until he found the right time to jump off and strike. Heero turned to meet the attack, but his reflexes where again too slow and Zechs wound up knocking him down.

"And now it ends, Heero!" Zechs wasted no time in summoning the full power of his armor. Chill winds swarmed aroung him as he lifted his saber high. Heero managed to reach his feet as the energy was brought to form.

"Winter's Heart!"

The blast of cold energy stormed straight at the fallen Celestial. Heero watched it approach him and crossed his blades together. He wasn't entirely sure if this would work, but he didn't have a choice.

"Mirrored Edge!"

Flashing the swords forward, Heero slashed at the energy, creating a clear field of energy. The cold energy hit it hard and Heero struggled to deflect it back. The field seemed to buckle under the force and Heero was driven to his knees. Zechs continued to force his attack on Heero.

"Give it up, Reflections! You are no match for me!"

The energy shot back at Zechs and smashed him against the icy wall, soon followed by him being instantly frozen and the ice filling up the remaining space. Within the now solid black of ice, Zechs shattered the entire dome, freeing himself. Hitting the ground, he looked up at his opponent with a frown. By shattering the prison, he had allowed Heero to escape as well and without it, Zechs no longer had the advantage. Heero approached him, sword in hand and Zechs struggled to rise, but was unable to. In truth, Heero wasn't any better off as he had exhausted himself in his counterattack and the damage he received from Zechs earlier. But he knew he had to finish him now.

"You're finished Zechs."

Heero however was surprised when a flame of energy flashed out of nowhere and headed toward him. Heero jumped back and stumbled somewhat as the flames hit the ground and spread out, blocking him from Zechs. Lifting himself up, he was another figure move near Zechs and helping him up.

"Noin…"

Noin looked over at her fallen comrade and there was a brief smile before she helped him upright. Heero could only watch as the two of them disappeared, presumably into the Nether Realm.

------------------

"HA!"

In a lonely area of the Earth, in front of a waterfall was Wufei. He was already in his armor and he was practicing his strikes with the rapier. Despite the change in sword type, Wufei was readily adapting and utilizing the rapier and he stabbed and slashed out. Not only that, but the surrounding waters was adding to the force, allowing him to draw into the armor's power even more. The thought of the Celestial however, was somewhere else.

Trieze…

The thought of the former commander of the Earth Nation propelled him through all his techniques. All this time, he had been trying to get over the legacy that Trieze left behind. But now that he had returned, what did that mean for him. It was much for him to take in. Back to his training, Wufei let out a final slash, causing the waters around him to blast away in a wave. The waters soon subsided around him, with Wufei standing still in the midst of it.

"You have trained well, Oceania. I hope you will prove to be a worthy adversary."

Wufei turned around and saw a shadowy armored figure standing atop one of the overlooking rocks. "A woman?"

Steely blue eyes flashed at his remark. "Make no mistake, Celestial. I am more than enough to deal with you."

"I doubt that, whoever you are." 

"I am Lady Saberstrike, a master swordsman of the Neatherealm. And I challenge you to your last battle, Oceania." She reached into her back and pulled out two katana blades. Holding them off to the side... "Do you accept the challenge, Oceania?" 

"I don't fight women." Despite this, he tightened his grip on his weapon. And a good thing to, because at that moment, Saberstrike bent low and sprung upward, her blades slicing through the air. 

"Then die where you stand!" 


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 22

_Swaaaanggg!_

With a final slash of the sword of Mirage, Heero completed his training of the Reflections armor. After his fight with Zechs, Heero didn't leave the colony, but rather intensified his training. He couldn't allow himself to show any weakness and he had to be ready for Zechs the next time they fight. Now that he knew the full extent of the Armor of Arctic, he would be ready so Zechs would have an advantage next time. But knowing Zechs, he would be doing the same thing, especially considering that he was the retreating party. He'll deal with it when the time came. For now, he should return to the others. Sheathing his sword, he began to focus on teleporting to the others, but began to sense something else. Another armor-bearer…Celestial…waning…

"Wufei…"

Something was wrong, that he knew. He focused on the dropping energy of his comrade instead and in a bubble of energy, he disappeared…

…And reappeared in the midst of a forest. Judging by the temperature change and the feel of the environment, he was able to tell that he was back on Earth. But he didn't have time to take in the scenery. The sounds of battle stormed the air with heavy clashing and loud cries. Heero moved toward the battle and upon emerging from the forest, found it. In the small pond, Wufei was in a heated battle with an unknown Dynasty warrior…and losing. Wufei crashed in the water and the warrior soared at him with a slicing dive. Wufei rolled away, but was unable to rise as she came at him again and again. Finally Wufei sprang up to his feet and reared his arm back for an attack. By the warrior was already on him and with a heavy back handed slash, Wufei was floored, smashing into the tree and slumping to the ground. The warrior began to stride to him, but stopped on seeing the approach of Heero, who jumped before Wufei and unsheathed his swords.

"Heero of Reflections." she muttered. You've earned yourself quite a reputation among us. So I will have great pleasure in facing you."

Heero gripped his blades tighter, but strangely enough, the warrior lowered hers. "But not now. When I am ready, we shall fight and I will win." Her gaze lowered to the defeated Celestial. "Take him. I've had my fill of this one for now."

"Take him and remember the name of Lady Saberstrike!"

------------

"Lady Saberstrike!"

Heero returned to the dojo dwelling with an unconscious Wufei and news of a new Dynasty warrior. Needless to say, hearing the name of Saberstrike heard again wasn't the best thing to hear, especially for the Ronins.

Sage folded his arms. "Do you think she may be related to Lord Saberstrike?"

"That's possible." Rowen answered. "Giving the injuries Wufei has taken, that would be a good bet."

"To take down Wufei?" Duo said in wonder. "Man, he's going to be upset when he wakes up."

A few glared at him for his joke, but Kayura brought them back to the issue at hand. "Nevertheless, he is right. This warrior is not one to take lightly. Not if she was able to best a Celestial in his own element."

"So what's the plan?" Dais questioned.

Trowa decided to answer. "We'll have to face her before…"

**KABOOM!  
**

A massive explosion outside suddenly rocked the entire dwelling, knocking a few of them off their feet and into walls.

"What the heck…?"

"That must be her." Hilde suggested, pushing herself off the wall.

Kento smashed his fists together. "Then let's go and teach her some manners."

"_**TO ARMS!"**_

-------------

"Master…"

Trieze materialized before the spectral body of Nanashi, bending on one knee and with his head lowered.

"Speak."

"The jewel bearer is showing signs of weakness." he smiled. "I sense she will soon join us."

"As it should be. Both your presence and Shiva's were most convincing to her."

The dark Celestial lifted his head. "Speaking of Shiva, she insists of fighting the Celestials."

A dark chuckle came out of the Dynasty leader. "Restless, huh? But she will wait. For the moment, they are dealing with Lady Saberstrike."

"But can Saberstrike be trusted?"

"She will serve her purpose. That's all that matters."

One more subject to report. "And Zechs has returned. But he refuses to do anything except train."

Another chuckle. "Defeat is a powerful motivator. Let him do as he wishes."

---------------

The armored warriors (minus Wufei and Kayura) all gathered outside to confront their newest enemy. But all they found was a massive smoldering crater outside, with no other sign of her presence. But she was there all right.

"Show yourself, Saberstrike." As in response, she strode out of the woods, holding her swords in her hands. Ryo lifted his blade in readiness. "Gotten tired of hiding?"

The crimson eyes narrowed. "I have no reason to hide, Ryo of Wildfire. So you are the one who vanquished my brother."

"Lord Saberstrike was your brother?" Ryo blinked.

Cye added. "I guess that answers that question."

"Yes. Now you will pay for that transgression. You all will!" She pointed one of her blades at them and suddenly lunged with a cry.

"YAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

She charged right into the warriors before they could even react and in a flash, she was upon them all, seeming to attack from every direction.

"Look out!"

But the warning came too late as Saberstrike began her assault on all the Celestials, Warlords and Ronins, slashing at them and knocking them all around and into the crater. They crashed into each other and rose up disorientated as Saberstrike finished her attack and landed on the edge of the crater.

"Now you you've had a taste of my speed, now you will witness soon my skill."

She crossed her swords high above and dove in at them again. The group leaped out of the crater in unison, but she flew on past and struck the crater bottom. A sudden explosion of energy followed and the aerial warriors were all blasted everywhere.

"Guuuaahhhh!"

The group was scattered around the crater, many of them rising from the ground while a few were motionless. Ryo staggered to rise up when Saberstrike flew out of the crater and dove at him.

"Die, Wildfire!"

A roar halted her attack and her body collided with the leaping body of Whiteblaze. The two leaped around in the air and landed on their feet, facing each other.

"Stay back. You can not protect your master now."

Whiteblaze snarled and black sparks began to form around him. Then with an ear-splitting bellow, a blast of fire exploded around him. Lady Saberstrike backed away from the fire and Whiteblaze emerged from the flames, now transformed into his armored alter ego persona; Blackblaze.

"Blackblaze?" Lady Saberstrike said almost softly. She approached the now black tiger and to Ryo surprise, Blackblaze let her approach. She stopped midway and looked over at Ryo. She then switched her gaze back to the armored tiger, or more precisely, the Soulswords of Fervor that were hooked onto the sides.

"I see. Both the swords and you… It could only have been in honorable combat." She backed away and announced to the fallen warriors. "This was my brother's most loyal companion. For that memory and loyalty, I will spare you all for now. But remember that my mercy will not keep forever. When we next meet, you will all fall!"

With that, Saberstrike faded away into the air and the armor of Blackblaze faded away into embers and Whiteblaze returned to his normal form. However, the damage was made clear and one thing's for certain. If not for Whiteblaze's intervention, they would have been destroyed.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 23

-

**_Dwelling_**

The warriors had returned back to the shrine to recover from their latest battle against Lady Saberstrike. But the group was silent upon their return. The Warlords inform Kayura and she too was surprised by the power of their new enemy, but she kept silent about it. Judging by the looks on some of their faces, it wasn't something they need to be reminded of.

"Ughhh. I'm going to be sore for weeks." Hilde moaned to herself.

"Tell me about it." Sage added, overhearing her. "This new Saberstrike fights as brutally as the old one."

Kento grumbled aloud. "I can't believe that we couldn't take her. There were thirteen of us and she beat us all."

Some of the group glared at him for bringing it up, but it made no difference now. Truth was truth and the truth is she had beaten them all. Celestial, Ronin, even Warlord, bested by a single warrior.

"Not quite." Trowa said from his place by the wall. "She merely maneuvered us into a closed situation and hit us in one attack." But this silver lining came with a price as he continued. "She will not do the same thing again."

Rowen added on. "Right. But that just shows that she knows how to fight us. And she has the power to enforce it too."

"So what will we do?" Yuli asked.

"I'll...face her."

The response came from Wufei, who had emerged from one of the other rooms. Sally came up beside him from behind. "Wufei, what are you doing up?"

Wufei ignored her. "I'll to deal with this dynasty creature myself. Guah!"

Wufei grimaced and bent forward slightly. He would have fell but managed to catch himself beforehand. Bu the others already seen his condition.

"No." Kayura warned. "Wufei, you're not fully recovered from your last fight with her."

He gritted his teeth. "I don't care." He stumbled again, but this time he was unable to catch himself. But Sally caught him and pulled him back.

"Don't be foolish, Oceania." Kale snapped. "She will kill you if you face her now."

Wufei looked up at him, but was unable to hold his glare at the Warlord, largely because the Warlord shared his pain. As warriors, to be defeated in such manners were shameful to them. But they had to get over it if they were to defeat the Dynasty.

"We need to plan out an attack strategy." Lady Une said. She had been silent since her arrival there and now decided to voice herself.

"But how?" Quatre asked. "We don't even know what Saberstrike is after."

"Yes we do." That came from Ryo. He then looked over at Heero and continued. "Us."

Kento was about to ask, but Hilde beat him to it. "What do you mean, Ryo?"

"She wants me because I was the one that defeated Lord Saberstrike. And she's after Heero since he dished out a few solid victories."

Wufei grimaced with realization. "She wants…the strongest."

"So what?" Duo shrugged. "Do we use them as bait or something?"

"Mission accepted."

The group now turned to Heero now, wide-eyed. Duo shook his head and chuckled. "You've got to be kidding me."

But to a guy that would blow himself to complete a mission or assignment, up to complete a mission or assignment, he was dead serious.

And they all knew that…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**_Dynasty_**

"How is your meal?"

Trieze and Mariemaia were once again together. But this time, Trieze had taken her to another room were a small lavish table and food awaited. They had eaten in silence up until now.

"……."

"You still don't trust me." Trieze said when she held her silence. "It has been awhile and you were brought here under very…unusual events. But you have no need to fear me. Of this, I promise."

"I'm just…"

"Thinking." He said, cutting her off lightly. "Yes, I recognize the look on your face. It is something we share. The last time I held that gaze, the Libra was just before us."

At this, Mariemaia's eyes lit up. She had always been fascinated with the story of the final battle of the Eve Wars, particularly concerning her father. Her curiosity soon won out over her.

"…Tell me."

Trieze took a spoonful of soup to his mouth, hiding the small smile that lit up on his face. "Milliardo had brought the Libra in close to Earth and I was the only thing in his path. He knew I wouldn't turn back and I knew he wouldn't stop until he destroyed the Earth." His eeys then lowered. "Perhaps I shouldn't have stood in his way."

Mariemaia blinked at that statement. "But…Ms. Une told me…Because of that battle, that war, mankind was able to bring about true peace." Now her eyes lowered down. "I didn't understand that and I almost destroyed what you brought about."

"Did you?" His eyes shifted up to gaze at her. "Or did you see my mistake and try to rectify it?"

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, baffled.

"As long as humans exist, they will always battle. For dark emotions exist within them all and thus bound in a cycle of battle and death." His voice softened. "But it is this same darkness that can be their salvation."

_'Darkness…as salvation?'_ "I don't understand."

"No." he smiled. "You are mature, but you are also still a child. There is still much for you to learn." He stood up from his seat after wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Perhaps when I come back, I can teach you more. Is there a meal you would prefer next time?"

"No." She said softly, still in thought. "This…is fine."

With that, Trieze left the room and into the dark hallway. As he did, his garments soon changed into his sub-armor.

"Soon. Very soon."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**_Earth_**

Heero and Ryo stood in the middle of a desolate field, long destroyed in one of their earlier battles. In fact, Ryo chose this very spot. It was the same place where he had duel Lord Saberstrike. It was something Lady Saberstrike wouldn't resist. At least he hoped so. Otherwise their trap wouldn't work. A distance away, by the hillside were the remaining Ronins and Celestials, already in armor and waiting for Lady Saberstrike to appear.

She did…

Black clouds swarmed in quickly and lightning split the skies. Amid the storm, a single lightning bolt flashed down before them and a single form emerged from within the light.

Lady Saberstrike.

"Well this is certainly unexpected." Her crimson eyes shimmered. "I was expecting just one of you to face me."

"Well, we're here." Ryo replied

"Indeed. All of you." She lifted her hand before either of them could react to her statement. "But there's no need to include your friends in this."

A black ball of energy sprang suddenly from her palm and shot up into the air. It flew straight up for a while and then exploded in a massive sphere, surrounding the three. The other moved in to help, but were stopped by the dark energy.

"A forcefield." Trowa muttered.

"I've got it." Kento locked his nunchuku and held it back Armor of Hardorock…!"

"No Kento." Rowen held his hand up to stop him. "If you do that, you may end up hurting Ryo and Heero too."

"So we just leave them in there?" the Ronin exclaimed.

"We don't have a choice." Quatre said quietly. "Saberstrike got us again."

Inside the sphere, Saberstrike continued to stare at the two as she unsheathed her blades from her back and whirled them forward. "Now that the playing field has been set, let's begin."

Both warriors were trapped, with no other option but to fight.

**_"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Chi!"_**

****

**_"Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!"_**

Both armors formed around their respective summoners, encasing Ryo in the fiery red armor of Wilfire and Heero in the cool blue armor of Reflections. Both warriors drew their swords and stood ready to face Saberstrike. Had she had a mouth to she, they would have noticed that she was smiling.

'Brother…Today, I avenge you…' 

**"Yaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"**


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 24

-

_**Srrrrrrrraaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkk!**_

Ryu and Heero both dodged aside as Lady Saberstrike dove at them with a powerful slash that tore the ground to pieces. Ryo stood back in shock as he looked at the predicament they were in. Because of the forcefield Lady Deathstrike erected around them, not only was their movements restricted, but they were cut of from the others as well. But it seemed like Heero didn't see it as a problem and the minute he dodged her attack, he lunged in with one of his own. Saberstrike quickly brought her sword back to defend and with the other one, she slashed back. Heero shifted his sword in order to defend, but the blow was powerful enough to hurl him backward.

"Heero!"

Ryo charged in on Saberstrike, but his cry had alerted her attention and she stood ready for him when he slashed out at her. She deflected the dual slash attack, causing it to fly on by her. Ryo blinked in shock as she rushed upward, ramming her right shoulder into his face and then followed up with a heavy back arm strike. Ryo had to practically twist his body around to defend and ended up being knocked to the ground as a result. Saberstrike glared as he crashed onto the pavement.

"Come now. Is this all you two are capable of!"

Her answer was in the response of a pair of sword whirled at her from the side. But in a show of speed, she raised her arm, lifting her sword to block Heero's attack.

"That's more like it. Give me more!"

With a cry, Saberstrike pushed Heero back and brought her other sword to bear on the Celestial. Heero allowed himself to fall backward in order to rotate around and swing out with his second blade once again. They clashed and locked as Ryo recovered and moved in for a second attack. Saberstrike sensed his approach and disengaged from Heero, hopped into the air and with a single spin; she kicked both warriors to the ground and then spiraled a distance away.

"Should I end this now?"

The two warriors struggled up to their feet. So far, none of their attacks were even getting through while she was doing serious damage to them. If they didn't do something soon, she would destroy them mercilessly.

"Heero. We can't fight her this way. We're going to have to combine our attacks."

Heero didn't reply and rather charged back into the fray. Saberstrike met the charge and the two clashed heavily against each other. Heero worked hard in forcing her back, but it seemed that she wasn't even budging.

"Not strong enough!"

Saberstrike faltered back a bit, but only to create enough space to rush inward and slam her knee into Heero's stomach. The armor wasn't enough to stop the pain from rippling through Heero's body and even with his best effort; he was unable to stop a gasp from escaping his lips. But Saberstrike wasn't even close to done as she furthered her attack by leaping up and kicking him in the face. Heero rolled over the ground and Saberstrike dove in for the kill. Ryo dashed in just before her swords could hit their mark, only to have them turn on him.

"Wildfire…"

A glimmer of hatred could be heard in her voice as she said that. Lady Saberstrike reversed her swords and sliced them forward at the fiery Ronin. Ryo was half-surprised by her outright aggressiveness, but was still able to repel many of her attacks. But her aggressive strikes were beginning to wear of Ryo fast and soon, she had floored him with a heavy swipe. Ryo managed to roll away, but Saberstrike pounced, her swords whistling through the air as she struck him with an energized attack, blasting him right into the energy barrier. Ryo slumped to the floor as she approached him.

"I'm going to enjoy vanquishing you, Wildfire." She lifted her blade, but stopped to wheel around to defend against Heero, who had recovered from the last attack.

"You are strong, Reflections. But you are no match!"

Flicking her arms downward, she forced Heero's arms to follow and hit him with a forceful backhand. Heero fell back and crashed next to Ryo. It didn't take a genius to figure that they were both in big trouble.

Really big trouble…

- - - - - - -

_**Netherrealm**_

The darkness of Nanashi's chamber was soon interrupted when a figure entered inside and knelt down to the ground. Nanashi's ghastly presence soon came into form from above.

"I am here, my master." The kneeling figure spoke. "What do you wish of me?"

"The Ronins and the Celestials will soon come to us in the hopes of destroying my plans. But they will only drive themselves to the slaughter."

"You have plans for them, master?"

Nanashi's eyes narrowed. "Quite perceptive, Lady Shiva. A trap is more like it. One that you will carry out."

The shadowy agent smiled lightly. "Yes master."

- - - - - - -

Ryo stood before the energy shield, bruised, injured, and breathing heavily as his assailant closed in on him. Despite his best efforts, both he and Heero were pounded repeatedly by the sword master and she was far from done with them.

"Is this the best you Ronins and Celestaials have to offer? I'm beginning to become disappointed."

Ryo grimaced as he set himself to fight, but he knew that any attack he made now would be useless. Looking over at Heero, he saw the gundam pilot in similar shape, but handling it better, almost as though he wasn't in pain at all. It was a good sign for Ryo, or at least he hoped.

"Heero. There might be a way to beat her."

"Hmh."

Ryo was beginning to learn to take in that kind of response from him. "We have to work together and combine our powers."

Heero didn't answer and it was then that Ryo began to worry. Would Heero go along with him? This wouldn't work any other way. If they didn't work together, Lady Saberstrike would crush them. At that moment, she crossed the swords in front of her and rushed at them.

"This end now!"

Ryo braced himself for the incoming attack, but then Heero charged at her as well. Ryo first thought that Heero had ignored him entirely, but then Heero shot back.

"Mission accepted."

Heero reared his blades back as did Lady Saberstrike. With a terrific slash, both warriors struck out at each other, creating a blast of energy around the two as they struggled against one another.

"Have you nothing new?"

But she was in for a surprise for at that moment, Ryo had leaped over Heero and dove in on Saberstrike. Saberstrike was forced to disengage from Heero in order to deflect Ryo's attack. Not giving up, Ryo pressed on with an outward slash, to which she parried and leaving him open for an attack of her own. But she was never to make it, for Heero had come in between them and landed a blow on her. Saberstrike reeled back for the first time and the two armored warriors kicked her to the ground. Saberstrike fell down, but a second later, she rolled on backward and shot up into the air.

"_**Winged Angel of Death!"**_

Combining her swords together, Lady Saberstrike summoned intense waves of energy into herself. Her body glowed brightly, turning into a form that seemed to sprout wings. A spiral of golden energy swarmed out of her and onto the two fighters, engulfing them both in its destructive energy.

"Guahhhhhhhh!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Ahh!"

Outside the forcefield, the helpless warriors felt the pain of Deathstrike's attack in one form or another. Their traits individually glowed brightly on their foreheads as they staggered away.

"What…is this…?" Duo asked, not understanding the pain he was feeling.

Quatre answered him, his voice strained. "It's Heero…and Ryo…"

Kento grit his teeth, trying to force the pain to subside. "That's it. We can't just stand out here while they get trashed. I'm going for it."

"No Kento, wait!"

But Kento had already summoned the full power of his armor, leaving the others no choice but to jump away before he unleashed it.

"_**Iron Rock Crusher!"**_

The naginata spun rapidly, bringing up the energies of the earth into the Ronin Warrior. Kento slammed down his weapon, bringing up a destructive field of energy and demolishing the entire area in force. The other shielded their faces for cover and the attack soon ended. But the dark forcefield was completely unaffected.

"No way! Not even a scratch?"

Th group soon returned to the position they were in before. "Well, I guess that answers that question." Hilde said.

Duo looked up at the field. "What are we going to do now?"

"What can we do?" Quatre answered. "As long as that bubble is up, we can't get in there to help."

Kento managed to catch his breath. "What about the armor of Inferno?"

Rowen shook his head. "No. Kayura said that we have to save that if possible. And for now, they aren't in any serious danger." Looking at the field… "We'll just have to hope Heero and Ryo can pull through."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Saberstrike landed on the ground after unleashing her attack upon the two. The smoke began to clear up and she expected to two warriors to be down. After all, they were both caught completely by her attack and no one could withstand such a blast. But they were still up, barely. She then saw why. A thin energy shield was around them, protecting them both from the brunt of her attack.

"I'll give you this. You two are quite resilient. And stubborn. You just don't know when to quit!"

Saberstrike leapt into the air and dove in at the two. The two warriors looked up and simutaneously jumped away in opposite directions as she smashed the grounds below. Ryo landed first and savagely charged at Saberstrike. Saberstrike wheeled around as Ryo let out his first slash. Saberstrike parried and stabbed inward, but Ryo deflected it with his other sword and pulled the first one back in order to attack again. But Sabrestrike reached him first and forced him backward with a heavy blow. Ryo stumbled, but held his footing as Saberstrike came at him speedily. But Ryo flipped backward just as Heero charged in from behind. Saberstirke didn't seem to care though and continued with her charge, only on Heero. Her blade cut through the air, but Hero managed to duck it and slash upward. Lady Saberstrike hopped back to avoid it and Heero pressed with a downward cut. Saberstrike nimbly sidestepped and shot her blades upward, clashing heavily against Heero's and causing his arms to flail back. But in a surprise move, Heero quickly recovered and brought his swords back to lock up with hers. Saberstrike tried to pull out of it, but Heero kept close to her so that she wouldn't escape. At the same moment, Ryo connected his swords together and took to the air. Lifting them high over his head, he summoned the full power of the armor of Wildfire.

"_**Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up Now!"**_

The supercharged flamed flashed downward toward the two. Lady Saberstrike was shocked by his action. _'He would harm his own ally just to try to defeat me?'_ Wasting no time, Lady Saberstrike jumped away before the attack hit. But Heero hadn't even tried to dodge and held out his arms and swords.

"_**Mirrored Edge!"**_

His body shimmered until a clear reflective filed formed around him, just as Ryo's attack hit full force. Heero struggled as the field took the attack and then by point his swords forward, he repelled the attack, changing the flames blue and redirecting it off into a new direction.

Toward Lady Saberstrike… 

Saberstrike had only time to gasp before she was engulfed by the force of power. A massive explosion soon followed, knocking both warriors and causing the black field around them to disperse. The others outside shielded themselves from the resulting blast and light as it lit up the whole area. After a long while, the light dimmed down, allowing the others to see once again. Near the core of the battle, Heero and Ryo lifted themselves up from the ground. A billow of smoke was before them as evidence of their combined effort. The smoke was beginning to clear and the two of them moved in toward it. Ryo half-expected for Lady Saberstrike to jump out at them. But as it would have it, the clearing of smoke revealed Lady Saberstrike…still standing.

"What?"

However, she made no advancement on them and Ryo saw why. She was finished. The combined attack had completely demolished her armor and it seemed like she would fall any second. Heero readied his swords once again, but Ryo held out his hand.

"It's over, Heero."

Heero didn't look back. "No, it isn't."

Ryo blinked as Heero strode over to Saberstrike. Saber didn't move as he came near. He lifted one of his swords, but didn't strike yet. Lady Saberstrike looked at and chuckled.

"I appreciate…the sentiment, Reflections…" She groaned low and knelt down to the ground, bowing her head. "Now I see…how my brother was defeated… It was…a good fight." Her eyes began to fade in and out. "Now…send me…to him…please…"

Heero gave a short nod and then sliced down. Lady Saberstrike faded away and disappeared in a flash of light. Heero lifted his sword again and finally sheathed them. Ryo did likewise and folded his swords into the sheaths on his back. This battle was over.

But the war continues… 

- - - -- - - - - - - - - - -

"Lady Saberstrike has been vanquished, master."

Nanashi reappeared in the chamber as Trieze delivered this news, kneeling down as he done so.

"Well that is a surprise." Nanashi answered. "I didn't expect her to be defeated so soon. And she was unable to force the Ronins to call forth the white armor of Inferno."

"Is that why you sent her?" Trieze asked.

"The power of the white armor interests me. Talpa was vanquished by it, so it must have significant power." The crimson eyes narrowed. "But every power has its limits. They will want to rely on it when they arrive here and I want to know all of its secrets."

"Master, let us go in force. I have no doubt we can force them to bring it forth."

"No. Such means is what got Toka destroyed. No, we shall bide our time and let them come to us. Put them in a situation where they will have no choice but to reveal it. And when they do, we will use the opportunity to exploit it. And Lady Shiva will put that plan into action."


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

-

Chap. 25

-

The tall glass tower of the Preventor Headquarters stood brilliantly in the sunlit sky. As workers moved diligently with their assignments, in the medical ward, Dorothy lay asleep in her bed. She was still recovering from the Dynasty attack, but her wounds were already healed and she would be able to leave in a few days. At the very least, it would be a very quiet time.

But that wasn't to last.

The outside area soon began to darken and the sun was soon shadowed away by black clouds. A thick fog crept in over the ground and within it, a single figure wielding a weapon. It looked upon the tall structure and chuckled.

"Well then. It's time to play."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Go for it!"

Quatre nodded as he rushed at Kento. The two, along with the other Celestials and Ronins, were busy going through their training exercises. After their fight with Lady Saberstrike, the two teams vigorously trained to be ready for the next encounters. Quatre and Kento were training together to utilize their two armors together, after seeing from Heero and Ryo what their combined powers could do. Quatre leaped high up into the air as Kento held his palm up. Quatre dove down, put his palm down and linked it with Kento's, balancing himself upside-down as he did so. Kento held him up for a while, bent his elbow and tossed Quatre back into the air. Quatre spun around and upon nearing the ground, he smash his fist in, creating a small, but deep crater that reached up to his elbow.

"Alright. That's not too shabby, Quatre."

Quatre smiled as he pulled his armored arm out of the ground (they were training in their sub-armor) and wiped the sweat off his head. He felt himself getting stronger, but he always worried that it might not be enough.

"There's no need to worry yet, Quatre."

Quatre blinked out of his thoughts to see Trowa and Cye walking over toward them. Quatre smiled at his friend, who made the earlier comment and replied. "You're right, Trowa. I guess I can't help it."

Cye nodded to him. "Don't worry about it, Quatre. We'll be just fine."

Kento stretched. "I'll be a lot better once I get some food."

The others sighed as Kento made his way back to the shrine to raid for food. Deciding that they should head back as well, the followed behind. But then Quatre stopped in his tracks and his gaze shifted upward. Cye noticed this and stopped as well.

"Something wrong, Quatre?"

Trowa turned as well as Quatre continued to stare skyward. The symbol of -Hope- flickered on his forehead.

"Quatre?"

Quatre looked down at his friends. "I have to go back to Earth."

"Is something wrong?" Cye questioned with a strange look on his face.

"I don't know." Quatre said softly. "But I just feel…The soul of Outer Space…"

Quatre quieted down and Trowa placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Quatre looked up at him as he spoke.

"Let's go then."

"Thanks Trowa."

Cye sighed to himself. "I guess I'll go with you guys as well."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_**Red Alert! Red Alert!**_

Preventor officers quickly scrambled outside only to find themselves under siege. Hordes of armored attackers swarmed out of the dense fog. The officers were overwhelmed as these creatures advanced on the HQ from all sides. Bullets seemed to have no effect and all electrical equipment had gone dead. The Dynasty soldiers pressed on, chaining up many of the humans as captives. It was then that the three had warped out onto the Earth and they saw the fighting from a distance.

Cye was the first to ask. "What's going on?"

"They're attacking Preventor Headquarters?" Quatre said with confusion. "Why would they do that?"

True enough, it made no sense for them to attack Preventor HQ. There was nothing there of value, at least to the Dynasty. Trowa turned to him briefly, now seeing what it was that Quatre sensed. "We'll have to figure that out after we stop them."

"Then we better hurry." Cye then informed. "It looks like they already getting inside."

"Let's go."

The three armored youths charged in and swiftly dove into the battle against the Dynasty soldiers. The soulless creatures were caught off-guard by the sudden attack and the three used that to get near to the headquarters and hold them off, smashing them down along the way. They finally reached the entrance of the building where they wheeled around and faced down the horde.

"I'm going to go inside." Quatre announced.

"We'll handle this." Cye nodded as he made ready to face the Dynasty horde. "Go."

Quatre rushed inside where he found that the building had darkened, due to both the lights being out and the Dynasty presence. Sensing out the dark presence, Quatre found a group of Dynasty soldiers close to the stairway. The creatures turned to him and attacked and Quatre charged as well. He hopped up to the air and double-kicked two soldiers, flooring them instantly. The group behind them attacked, hurling their lances at the Celestial. Quatre dodged a few and smashed through the rest with his fists. His punches continued on toward the soldiers, knocking them down in force. The final soldier stabbed forward with his lance, but Quatre dodged aside and kicked him into the wall, creating a crater in it. Quatre stood still in the middle of the now dust-evaporated bodies, breathing easily. His training it seemed was paying off, but he wasn't thinking about that now. He still felt something wrong. Following the darkness he was sensing, he climbed up the steps and soon found himself on a familiar floor and toward a familiar room.

'_Dorothy!'_

Quarte quickly ran into the room and found it empty. A rush of wind caught his attention and for a moment, he saw a flicker of movement outside. Rushing toward the window, he saw a figure flying up to the rooftop. It was a bit far, but Quatre did manage to see a lock of blond hair waving. Without hesitation, Quatre climbed out the window, stabbed his hands into the very wall and sprang upward, soaring up to the rooftop. Upon landing, he found Dorothy lying on the ground. But what had his attention was the figure standing next to her. It was a female form, wearing a pale mask with thin markings. Hair was tied into the mask as well, but Quatre saw that this person was blond too. But Quatre saw instantly that this wasn't the standard Dynasty warrior. There was power; real power here.

"Who are you?"

The figure answered. "Quatre of Dune… I am the face of your death. Lady Shiva."

Quatre was soon met with a big explosion…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Grh! Rhh! Haa!"

Sally Po followed the sounds through the trees until she reached a watery clearing. There, Wufei was drilling himself through his solitary training, attacking a single tree with various punches and kicks. The tree shook under the power of his blows and he picked up the pace, using more speed and ferocity in his attacks. His face was damp with sweat and even his sub-armor looked a little worn. Surely he hadn't recovered that much to be training at such intensity

"W…"

She stopped herself after looking at the expression on his face. There was focus, but also pain. Not physical, she knew, although he must be hurting right now. The pain of his defeat... But she knew Wufei was one who would arise from it stronger than before. _'And probably more bull-headed.'_ she chuckled mentally. Still, she knew that Wufei would only ignore her and continue on anyway, despite any caution she would give him. So she simply opted to stay silent and watch. It looked like he needed to get this off his chest.

If she was lucky, he would pass out and she could gloat over her partner afterward.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Blam!**

Cye and Trowa continued their battle against the Dynasty soldiers. Thanks to their earlier training efforts, they were batting away soldiers left and right, almost non-stop. As they finished the last of them, they were soon alerted by a giant explosion coming from the top of the building. That was soon followed by the descent of Quatre from the building top.

"Quatre!"

Trowa silently soared into the air and caught his friend before he hit the ground. Landing, Trowa put Quatre down, who struggled with the pain from the blast.

"Quatre, what happened?" Cye asked as he came up to the two. But he was soon answered when another figure descended from the rooftop. The trio backed away as the Shiva soundlessly touched the ground.

"Who are you?" Cye questioned as Quatre arose to his feet again.

The figure chuckled. "Oh, that question again." She pointed to Quatre. "I think I'll let your brainy friend answer that for me."

Quatre grimaced. "She calls herself Lady Shiva. She went after Dorothy."

"Very good, Dune." Despite the mask, they could tell that she was smiling. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, let the festivities begin."

"_Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!"_

"_Armor of Tempest! Tao Kaichou!"_

"_Armor of Torrent! Tao Shin!"_

The armors came into form and soon the Celestials and Ronin faced off against this new threat with their full strength. But Shiva didn't seem impressed or threatened.

"Well, it's a start."

With that, she slowly reached back and unsheathed her own weapon, causing the trio to gasp in shock. The design, the sharpness, even the way it sparkled in the light gave no mistake of its identity.

_It was the second Starlight Sword…_


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 26

-

_Preventor Headquaters_

"That's…a Starlight Sword!"

Cye, Quatre and Trowa stood before Lady Shiva as she produced her weapon, which the Ronin of Trust pointed out as the second of the two Starlight Swords. Quatre and Trowa both agreed, having seen the one Mia has matching the weapon that was now being held against them.

"Oh this?" Shiva said lightly. "Yes, this is my treasure. Beautiful, isn't it?" She whirled it back and held it downward toward the ground. Both the blade and her body began to glow in a pale blue aura.

"Now, I believe we've talked enough."

Her glow intensified and in a flash, she shot past the three warriors. A second later, they all exploded with flashes of energy and were knocked down to the ground. Shiva chuckled lightly and slowly turned to them as they struggled to rise from the ground.

"Disappointing. I had hoped for a bit more of a fight from the Ronins and Celestials. This won't be any fun if I kill you without any effort."

Cye growled and struck forward in attack. His trident soared through the air toward the warrioress, but with a swift move, she leaped up into the air and landed right on the trident end…while Cye was still holding it!

"That's the spirit, Torrent. Try again."

Before Cye could react, Trowa came up from behind with an attack of his own. Again, Shiva leaped out of the way and Trowa followed, spinning his staff in the air and slamming it down. But to his surprise, Shiva deflected the attack with her sword and it slammed into the ground. In return, Shiva backhanded him with her sword, sending a shock through his body and propelling him across the sky.

"Trowa!" Quatre cried as he rushed in to help. But Shiva gazed in his direction and lashed out with a blade of energy. Quatre's eyes widened with shock, but he managed to dodge the projectile. But the beam continued to fly and it exploded on the Preventor building. Quatre was even more surprised when the structure shook slightly.

'_If she's that strong…Oh no!'_

_Then she could tear this entire place apart…_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Dwelling Sanctuary_

Hilde moved through the small trees in search for Duo and found braided Celestial by himself, leaning against a tree. Actually, he was upside-down and doing pushups against it. Upon seeing the approaching girl, he righted himself upright.

"Hey Duo." Hilde started, a little nervous. "You look…uh…good."

"Thanks." he grinned. "Just a little extra training. Gotta keep in shape and all, you know."

"Yeah. Say. Do you think…?" She paused for a minute and then waved her hand. "Never mind. It's a dumb idea."

Duo blinked. "Wait, what is it?"

"Well…perhaps you could spar with me?" In truth, it wasn't what she wanted to see him about. She had wanted to talk about…their earlier encounter and the kiss they shared. But she didn't know how to bring it up and it. So instead, she thought she'd find a way to get around to it. "I would have asked one of the others, but they already have training partners or have left. I could ask Lady Kayura…"

"No. That's okay." Duo replied. "Besides, Ryo and Sage went on a break so I'm free babe."

She smiled, remembering the Duo of old. Raising her arms, she settled into stance. "Alright. Here I come."

She charged at Duo, quickly enough to surprise him and lashed out with a side kick. Duo was stunned and stepped back a bit to reevaluate his opponent. But Hilde came at him again, this time with a straight punch. Duo quickly pulled his arms back and parried the attack. But that didn't stop Hilde, who whirled around with a spinning backhand. Duo snapped his head back to avoid it, amazed that Hilde was fighting so well. Figuring it was time to return the favor, Duo snapped his leg forward in a quick kick. Hilde blocked it with her palms and he snapped it into a higher kick. Hilde dashed her head to the side to dodge it and then spun around in a low sweep. Duo backflipped and the two faced off again.

"Nice." Duo commented with a grin.

Hilde smiled and came at him again, this time leaping up into the air and lashing out with a dive kick. Duo braced himself and when she soared close enough, he dodged aside. He intended to attack while she was still coming down, but she came a lot faster than he thought and their bodies collided into each other.

"Oof!"

The two Celestials tumbled onto the ground, wincing in pain from their collision. When they recovered however, they were in for a shock. Hilde was flat on the ground looking upward.

With Duo right over her looking down…

The two of them were frozen still in place, just looking at each other's eyes. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind. They couldn't even tell if they were breathing or not and the truth was, they really weren't paying attention. The only thing going through their mind was how close the other was and…if they would come closer. It began to appear that they were drawing closer, their faces inches apart and their heartbeats moving a million miles per minute.

But the moment was soon broken when their foreheads shimmered with their individual traits. They both snapped upward and looked up into the sky. They felt it. Their brethren were in battle.

And in serious trouble…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Preventor HQ_

"Kyah!"

Cye was knocked back into the battered group of his friends after taking a punishing blow from Lady Shiva. So far all their attacks were being wasted as the warrioress continued to deflect them and return with greater force, mocking them all the while.

"Do I have to fight all of you before I get a descent workout?"

The three grimaced as they arose to confront her again and leveled their weapons, but made no move to attack.

"This is crazy." Cye whispered. This is just like when we fought Lady Kayura, only worse."

Trowa however, gazed over at Quatre. "You can't afford to hold back in this, Quatre."

Cye blinked. "Holding back? Quatre?"

Quatre lowered his head slightly. "We have to take the battle away from here. Otherwise we risk destroying this entire place and hurting many innocent bystanders."

"I agree." Cye replied. "But I doubt Shiva's the type to just stop and change places. Why did she come here at all?"

"Yah!"

The three returned their attention to the fight as Shiva came at them and struck. They were able to dodge the initial strike, but not the shock blast that followed afterward which scattered them across. Trowa was the first to recover, rolling across the ground and springing to his feet. Shiva turned to the charging Celestial.

"Well, you have some more fight in you after all."

Trowa ignored her remark as his quarterstaff took to flight, flailing down on her. Shiva deflected the blow and whirled around with a strike of her own. Trowa quickly lifted the opposite end of his staff to defend and when she struck, he used her force to lift the front end toward her face. But Shiva tilted her head back, causing the staff to fly right on by. In return, she shot her leg out, catching Trowa right in the side.

"Guh!"

Shiva took advantage of the opening by striking down on the stunned Celestial full force. But the blade came up short as it was stopped by Cye's yari trident. However, the explosion still erupted and both Trowa and Cye were knocked back, although Trowa hit the ground. Cye shook his head to shake off the shock, only to be greeted by a swift kick to the face.

"That's for interfering, worm."

Quatre meanwhile had managed to recover from the earlier shock blast only to see his best friend out cold and Cye being pummeled by Lady Shiva. He knew what he had to do to stop this battle, but he didn't want to risk it. He had trained to focus his power more so that it wasn't so destructive to the entire area, but he hadn't fully utilized this ability. If this doesn't work, then everybody could be hurt or even killed.

'_Trust yourself, Quatre. It's the only way.'_

'_Huh? Trowa?'_ He looked back at Trowa, but saw him still unconscious. Was it really him? That didn't matter right now. What did was what Trowa said. He had to trust himself. _But how?_ After last time…If not for him, Dorothy wouldn't have gotten hurt. But if he did nothing, Cye would be killed now. The symbol of Kitai -Hope- shimmered on his forehead and a determined glare crossed his face.

"_**Armor of Dune!"**_

Cye instantly sensed the energy and leaped out of the way. Shiva sensed it too, but was too late as the circle of energy appeared underneath her.

"_**Gaia's Wrath!"**_

The circle soon erupted into a blast of pure energy that tore up the very ground. However, Quatre was hard in focus, trying to keep the destructive force contained in the single area. Cye, along with a recovering Trowa, looked on a Quatre continued to press on, managing to keep the force of his attack centered in one area. The attack finally ceased and Quatre bent down in exhaustion, his nunchuku unfolding beside him as he panted. But he did it. He defeated Lady Shiva without destroying everything else in the process.

Unfortunately…

"You must think that was a close one, huh?"

Quatre gasped in shock as Lady Shiva emerged from the debris, unharmed. The other too couldn't believe that she survived that attack, much less without a scratch.

"Don't be so surprised, Dune. It will take more than that to defeat me." Her masked concealed a dark smile and she lifted up her sword. "But you…let see how you fare against my…**_Star Sword Shine!_**"

An aura of energy blasted out of her and into the skies above. A single star shimmered amidst the sky and in a flash, a ray of intense light shot down on Quatre, engulfing him in a crimson flash.

"**AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"**

The ray of light was brief, but it was more than enough to totally overwhelm Quatre. But it didn't stop there. In another flash of light, a destructive shockwave rippled out everywhere, tearing up the ground and smashing into the Preventor HQ, ripping into it. The awesome force hit Trowa and Cye as well and hurled into the building itself while it crumbled around them. The attack ended, leaving nothing but damage and destruction in its wake.

With Lady Shiva standing atop it all…

Looking down, she gazed at the unmoving body of Quatre. His armor was burned and signed heavily, but it remained intact, showing that he was still alive. _At least for now…_ Standing over him, she lifted her sword, making ready to strike down.

"Just crushing the brain first."

"Hold it right there!"

Shiva paused as she was suddenly surrounded by the remaining Ronins and Celstials, all in battle gear. She lowered her arm as she slowly faced them all.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to play with you all, but don't worry. We'll get down that road soon enough." She sheathed her sword and gave a light wave.

"Until then, ciao."

The armored warriors covered their eyes as she created a flash of light, blinding them. By the time their vision returned, she was gone. With nothing else to do, they moved to check on their fallen comrades. Checking on Quatre, they found him in the same condition as before, except his was whispering one word.

"Dorothy…"


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 27

-

Dwelling Sanctuary 

The situation was tense at best. The Ronins and Celestials were again regrouped after the battle with the Dynasty and the destruction brought about by their newest foe, Lady Shiva. In an adjourning room, Quatre lay in rest, bandaged and mended from his injuries. Sally and Mia had done all that they could, but in the end, Quatre had to be left to recover from much of his injuries. Opposite of him, Dorothy was also unconscious and laid on a mat in rest. After the incident with the Preventor HQ, Cye and Trowa brought her along in answer to Quatre's last words. She wasn't injured by the attack, but she had yet to awaken since they brought her back. In the center chamber, the remaining Ronins and Celestials gathered to talk. Wufei was absent, still driving himself in his personal training. Cye and Trowa were still bearing injuries, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Quatre. Besides, the news of their newest opponent was more than enough to keep their focus.

"Just when things couldn't get worse, this happens." Sage muttered

"Tell me about it." Cye replied, holding his injured arm carefully to the side. "It's like we're replaying shades of the past."

Trowa nodded slightly, holding still so as to not irritate his recovering body. "She is different from the others we've fought. Her strength was more than what we have ever dealt with."

"Are you certain she had a Starlight Sword?" Ryo questioned. He had finally recovered

"Yeah." Cye answered. "Trust me. It's not something I would forget."

"We'll have to find out who it is." Ryo added.

"There's no reason to."

"What do you mean, Heero?" Yuli asked from nearby.

Heero stayed silent for a bit and then answered the boy. "In the end, Shiva is our enemy and must be destroyed."

"But, she's likely to be human." Sage countered back. "We can't kill a human."

"Hn…"

"Lady Kayura, what do you…?" Rowen started, but fell silent when he saw Lady Kayura missing.

"She's gone." Kento exclaimed when the others realized it as well. "But wasn't she just standing here a minute ago?"

The three Warlords looked out toward the exit, already knowing what their leader was planning to do.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the edge of the territory between the sanctuary and the Netherrealm, Kayura strode out into the slowly changing desolate area. She had left some time after the Celestials and the Ronins began conversing. She didn't want to involve them in this. This was something she had to do alone. A mist began to sweep up before her and she stopped, her robes whipping lightly in the wind and the rings on the staff jingling rapidly. Within the mist, a sole figure began to walkout toward her, with a single blade in hand.

"Lady Shiva."

"Lady Kayura. I've been waiting for this."

The two of them stared at one another and Kayura felt almost as though she was looking through a mirror, despite the mask on Shiva's face, which was why Kayura felt that she had to face Shiva alone. Shiva was in the same position she was when she was under Talpa's control. And if she could, she wanted to break the same control Nanashi had over this new warrior.

"You're just as I expected you." Shiva continued. "Weak."

Kayura didn't flinch and replied softly. "We are the same. It does not have to be this way."

"Wrong on both counts. I am Nanashi's greatest warrior while you are only a shadow of your former glory. Betraying Talpa and turning against him will cost you." Shiva lifted her sword and held it back in battle position. "So as you can see, it does have to be this way."

Kayura didn't follow suit. "Please. This is not who you really are."

"You're right. This is."

Waving the Starlight Sword forward, Shiva unleashed a streak of energy that soared at Kayura. Kayura held her staff forward briefly and went into a graceful backflip, avoiding the wave altogether and landing softly on the ground. Shiva then swiftly charged at Kayura, rearing the sword back and then striking down full force. But Kayura blocked the attack with the staff and with a swift movement, she pushed Shiva back forcefully.

"If it must be this way, then so be it. But if you want to get rid of me, you'll have to do much better than that."

"Heh."

Kayura and Shiva remained in place, continuing to stare at each other from their distances. Their first exchange gave them each a glimpse of their power and skill and this showed that this wasn't a fight they could just jump into. Kayura had already suspected that Shiva would use powerful strike along with speed, but she didn't expect her to be that much faster. She would have to be ready for it. Shiva meanwhile had been surprised by Kayura's speed as well. Apparently, the former Mistress of Pain wasn't as weak as she first believed.

'This will be entertaining…' 

Shiva began to shift her legs and Kayura braced herself for attack. Shiva lunged at Kayura at high speed, but Kayura remained in place, holding the staff tightly. When she came in close, Shiva lashed out with the sword. Quickly, Kayura hopped back, placing the staff in front of her while it was still into the ground. The sword hit the staff with a blast of energy and Kayura swept around and kicked her in the back. Shiva stumbled and Kayura leaped up into the air, now in attack pose. Shiva quickly whipped around and met the smashing blow of the staff, reversing her blade in defense and then kicked off the ground, rushing her shoulder into Kayura and following up with a backhand slash. Kayura ducked and flipped back again for room.

"It does not have to be this way. You do not have to be a slave to Nanashi's will."

Shiva's only response was another wave blast of energy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Antarctica 

The chilly wind blew fiercely throughout the frozen wasteland. Yet this hardly deterred the armored woman who walked through it as though it was a nice sunny day. But given the nature of the armor this woman wore, everywhere was a sunny day.

_Noin of the Phoenix…_

The blue-haired woman strode through the ice and snow in her sub-armor, seemingly alone. Yet she knew she wasn't alone in this place. In fact, he was the reason she was there. Her compatriot had been training here alone for some time now and she decided now to check up on him. Actually, Nanashi wanted him recalled and she volunteered to retrieve him. She had wanted to see him for some time before that, but she was preoccupied with her own duties. Plus, Arctic had wanted to be alone for the time being. He had focused solely in his training, increasing his powers until they became unimaginable and enough to send Reflection to an icy grave. But she knew that the opposing Celestial had been training as well and may not be easy to defeat. But if anyone was to best him, it was Arctic.

He will not fail Nanashi. She believed in him. She had faith in…

The symbol of Seii -Faith- shimmered once on her forehead and she was forced to stop and grasp her head in pain. 'What…is this?' The pain disappeared as quickly as it came and Noin found herself in wonder as to the cause. _'No. I mustn't be concerned.'_ Dismissing it altogether, Noin continued on her journey to find Arctic. The cold winds began picking up, signaling that she was getting closer. It grew to a point where she couldn't see in front of her due to the swirls of ice and snow everywhere. But she continued walking a bit more and then finally stopped, where the ice storm was at its strongest. Her eyes could barely see the form of blue in front of her, showing her the still training Arctic. Zechs…

"Arctic. The time has come."

As soon as she finished saying that, the winds and ice died down halfway, allowing her a clearer view of the lone Celestial. His back was turned toward her, but she knew that she had his attention. Arctic turned his head only slightly, allowing only the side of his face to be seen and partially, due to the helmet.

"Very well." He tightened his hand into a fist. _'Reflections… We finish this.'_

--------------------------------

The fighting pressed on further between the two warrioresses, with the clash of their weapons being the only sounds made between them. Both were highly skilled in battle and their focus was solid. However, Kayura noticed something…unnatural with Shiva's fighting. She couldn't explain it, but there was something within the power of this warrior. Something beyond the power the Starlight Sword was granting.

And that was a problem…

Shiva stabbed forward, breaking Kayura from her thoughts and forcing her to deflect the attack. Kayura countered with a short swing, but Shiva for a change, leaped up and landed softly away. Kayura twirled the staff and stabbed it into the ground while holding her fingers up to her face and closing her eyes. Shiva cocked her head lightly and waited, but Kayura did nothing else, holding her stance. The staff began to glow lightly.

"Well, if you're going to make this easy…"

Shiva leaped high into the air and began whirling her sword. Purple flashes of energy sparked out from the sword and she pointed the blade at Kayura. A beam of energy blasted out toward Kayura, but Kayura didn't move and held her ground. The beam closed in and Kayura's eyes shot open. With a single cry, Kayura caused the staff to react and a field of energy instantly surrounded her. The field clashed with Shiva's energy beam and reflected it right back.

"!"

Hit with the own blast, Shiva was knocked right out of the air and onto the pavement below. The glow from the staff faded away and Kayura strode over to the fallen Shiva. Shiva remained still on the ground with the Starlight Sword in hold as Kayura approached and soon Kayura was standing over her. Due to the mask, Kaura couldn't tell if she was unconscious or not. But the darkness was still active with Shiva and it had to be purified in order to release her from Nanashi's spell. Once again, Kayura brought her fingers up to her face and concentrated. The staff began to glow once again and Kayura focused in her power.

'What?' 

Suddenly, Shiva shot up from the ground and attacked. Kayura instantly pulled back and again staff and sword clashed. However, Kayura continued to concentrate and the staff glowed brighter until finally it became pure light.

"Shiva. Let the darkness hold you no more."

The light shone before Shiva and for a moment Shiva became still. But…

"Khahahahaha! I am the darkness!"

Powering through, Shiva pressed on and knocked Kayura back. The staff stopped glowing and Kayura backed away in surprise. But she didn't have a chance to reflect on it, for Shiva snapped forward with a sharp kick, hitting Kayura in the chin and causing her to stagger back. Kayura recovered from the attack, but Shiva was already into another one; her greatest one.

"Star Sword Shine!" 

An aura of energy blasted out of her and into the skies above. A single star shimmered amidst the sky and in a flash; a ray of intense light shot down on Kayura and engulfed her in a blast of red light. Kayura was barely able to mount a defense, forming another shield with the staff. However, she wasn't ready for the enormous force of energy that collided into her and the shield shattered, knocking her back in the aftershock.

"Nhh."

Shiva landed on ground and looked through the smoke and down at her fallen opponent. Kayura lifted herself up, but only managed to get on one knee. Shiva's attack was quite powerful. If not for the shield, she could have been critically injured or even killed. And even still, she was now sorely weakened. She probably could have fought better if she had use her armor, but she had wanted to help Shiva and that required her to use the purity of her soul, without the armor to interfere. But the strength of Lady Shiva was much more that she thought. Even with the sole Starlight Sword, she seemed to be able to utilize its maximum power. If Shiva ever possessed both Starlight Swords, then she would truly be an unstoppable force. But that alone may be the key…

"As I thought, weak." Shiva had moved through the smoke and was now a foot away from Kayura, with her sword an inch away. "You lost who you were when you turned against the Netherrealm. Now here you bend, weak and defeated." She began to lift her blade.

"And at my mercy…or lack of it. Hahaha!"

Shiva suddenly struck down, intending to cut Kayura in half. But as it descended, the symbol of Chu -Loyalty- flashed and in that instant, the blade hit…another sword.

The Sword of Darkness… 

"Ah. The rest of the traitors."

Kayura looked over at Cale, who was flanked by Sekmet and Dais and the remaining warriors coming up behind them.

"So that is Lady Shiva." Kento said upon arrival. "She doesn't look so tough."

"I wouldn't say that." Cye replied. "Looks in this case are definitely deceiving."

"Ah, Torrent and Tempest. How is Dune? I do hope he is resting well."

Ryo stepped forward, sword crossed in battle-stance. "That's it. You're going down."

"That's not going to happen, Wildfire. Certainly not today." Shiva broke away from Kale and whirled her sword. "I've already had my playtime and now I must go. But if you really want to fight my master, you know where to come." Shiva then pointed her sword skyward. "And very soon, Nanashi will conquer the entire cosmos, starting with the Earth and all the colonies!"

"We'll stop you, just as we stopped Talpa." Rowen shot back.

"Talpa is a child compared to Nanashi. In fact, he is one of his children. But you probably know this already. Just as I know that all of you are doomed to fail. But I would like to see you try." She paused and soon looked over at the leading Celestial. "Especially you, Reflections. I think I would enjoy that very much. Until then…"

Shiva soon faded from sight and disappeared, leaving the warriors alone. Kayura half- collapsed on her knees, but was held up by Kale and Sekmet.

"So Kay, you've finally met your match." the serpent Warlord joked lightly.

"Don't…call me…that."


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 28

-

"I have come, master. What is your wish of me?"

Zechs of the Arctic knelt down low as the shadow form of Nanashi materialized before him. The spectral figure's eyes glowed bright as it stared down as its servant. In the back, Noin stayed in the shadows, kneeling as well, but keeping her eyes on Zechs, since she wasn't the focus of attention.

"The Ronins and the Celestials will soon be coming to confront us. You are to delay their coming for the time being."

Zechs lifted his head slightly. "Delay them?"

"The jewel bearer has yet to turn to our side." Nanashi answered. "Until then, we will have to delay their arrival until the time is right."

Zechs lowered his head back down. "Master. I wish to face Reflections again."

Nanashi eyes narrowed. It was no secret that that had been the driving force of Arctic's training and Nanashi was certain that the Celestial of Ice was much stronger. But Reflections had also grown in strength, shown from his battle against Lady Saberstrike. Zechs noticed brief silence and finished.

"I will destroy him this time."

"You have had your chance to defeat Reflections." Nanashi echoed back. Another paused. "However, I am curious to see how much your strength has grown. Very well. But you will be accompanied by Lady Shiva."

Noin's eyes widened at this, but she kept silent. Lady Shiva had dished out two solid victories over the Ronins and Celestials. However Noin couldn't help feeling that it should be her at his side. But these were Nanashi's orders and she had to accept them.

"Thank you master." Zeches answered. "I will not fail."

"See that you do not."

- - - - - - -

_Sanctuary Dwelling_

The blue eyes of the desert Celestial slowly opened into blurry light. As his vision began to clear, a figure came over and beside him.

"…Miss Une?"

"Welcome back, Quatre."

Looking around, Quatre realized that he was back at the dwelling. "How long have I been out?"

"A few days." Une answered. "You really took some punishment."

Quatre slowly sat up, wincing as he did. "What about the others?"

"They're fine. It was you we had to worry about."

"Oh. Sorry about that." he smiled sheepishly. He then blinked in afterthought. "What about Miss Dorothy?"

"She's right over there." Une shifted back a bit to reveal Dorothy lying on the cot as before. "She hasn't awakened since she was brought here. But as far as Sally could tell, she's okay."

"That's good."

"You seem especially worried about Dorothy."

"I guess…I still feel responsible…for what happened to her." He looked over at her, somewhat sadly. "I don't want her to get hurt again."

Lady Une examined him as he looked at her and saw more to what Quatre said. The Prevento commander smiled lightly. "I'm sure Dorothy feels lucky to have a guy like you watching over her, Quatre."

- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

Earth 

A sphere of light descended in the middle of an open field and burst, revealing two occupants within. Lady Kayura stepped forward and looked around while Mia remained in place and looking at the woman ahead, holding the Starlight Sword in her hand.

"This will do."

"What's this all about, Kayura?" Mia asked.

A brisk wind blew between them and Kayura was silent for awhile before she answered. "This is about your time to fight the Dynasty."

Mia gasped. "What do you mean?"

Another wind blew through as Kayura sighed to herself. "The fight with Lady Shiva has shown me that we need more power than what we have right now. And there is a mystery concerning the Starlight Sword that even I am unaware of." Kayura then slowly turned to Mia with a look of wisdom. "But I do know that you may be the only that can face Shiva successfully."

Mia stared wide-eyed at the Ancient. _'Is she serious? She can't be.'_ Mia was many things, but certainly not a warrior. "But I don't see how. I'm not like the others. They all have special gifts, special powers."

"And yet you possess the greatest power of all." A light smile formed. "Knowledge. Without it, I doubt very much that the Ronins would have defeated Talpa."

"Maybe..." That was in fact the truth. If not for Mia's insight as well as her grandfather data, the Ronin Warriors would have long been destroyed by Talpa's minions. "I guess I'm just used to watching from the sidelines."

Kayura placed a hand on her shoulder. "That is why we are here. There's not a lot of time, but the sword chose you so I believe that you'll do just fine." She gave Mia an encouraging nod. "Now, let begin, shall we?"

- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

Dwelling Sanctuary 

"So what's the game plan?"

After another day of rigorous training, the warriors regrouped in the sanctuary. After Shiva's attacks, the remaining fighters decided to ready themselves for anything she might throw at them. At the same time, they decided to devise a strategy of their own.

And coming up a bit short…

"I say we our way in just like we did before." Kento naturally suggested.

"Would you think for a minute, Kento." Rowen shot back. "We've already seen that Nanashi has some pretty tough cards."

"Yeah. I hate to admit it, but he's right." Duo agreed solemnly. "Trieze, Shiva, those warlords…We keep getting our butts served to us on a platter."

"We've been though tough situations before. We'll pull through somehow." Trowa said calmly.

"That won't be enough."

Sage turned to Heero, who had responded. "Well if you have any ideas, Heero, we're listening."

"Hn…"

"That's Heero for ya." Duo joked. "Always a pleasure."

Hilde shook her head with a light sigh and then addressed. "What does Kayura have to say about this?"

She was answered by Cye. "She hasn't said anything as of yet. She left with Mia early today."

"Did she take the Starlight Sword with her?"

"I don't think I've ever seen her leave it behind." Yuli added in. "Right Ryo? Ryo?"

Ryo blinked. "Huh?"

"Something wrong?"

"Nah. It's nothing. I was just thinking." That seemed to be an understatement. He had been staring off into space, oblivious to the world around him. It wasn't like Ryo to do that. At least not often.

"Maybe its time to act instead."

The group turned around to the entrance to see Wufei entering in, back from his solitary training. His clothes looked a little worn and his brow was still sweaty, but his eyes were hardened with determination. Behind him, Sally Po had her arms folded with a slight smile on her lips.

"Wufei. Good to see that you're back." Rowen greeted.

"It sounds like the fighting went on without me."

- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

Outside in the forest of the sanctuary, Whiteblaze prowled through the trees and bramble. He had long sensed a dark force on the edge of this land. It was faint, but the tiger could sense it a mile away. As Whiteblaze trudged onward, the forestry around him began to become slick and solid. A mist of cool air came next and soon the entire forest was frozen in sheer ice. Whiteblaze reached a clearing where a mist of cold air enveloped the area, with flakes of ice and snow flowing around. The tiger stopped and began to growl as an armored figure emerged and approached him through the snow and ice.

The dark Celestial of Ice…

Zechs looked down at the white tiger, glaring frozenly at him. Whiteblaze wasn't intimidated and continued to growl. But he wasn't Zechs target; Reflections was.

"Go back your masters. Tell them that I am here, waiting."

Whiteblaze ceased from growling and simply turned around in compliance. Zechs watched as the tiger disappeared and he gripped the sword at his side.

'_I'm ready for you this time. You will not best me again, Reflections.'_


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 29

-

Zechs of the Arctic stood in wait over the now frozen terrain. His eyes were closed as he waited for the Celestials to come. He knew they would, along with the Ronins as well. They would fear it to be a trap and they would be right in part. But he didn't care about it. His eyes soon snapped open as he heard their approach. Just as he predicted, both the Celestial Warriors and the Ronin Warriors had come, with Whiteblaze leading the way. Missing was Quatre, still recovering from his injuries. Also the Warlords were absent as well. But again, that meant nothing to him.

All he wanted was Reflections. Everything else was immaterial.

On the lower level of the ground, Whiteblaze growled aloud, looking up at Arctic. The others caught the hint and raised their eyes to see Zechs on the cliff edge looking down at them.

"I only want Reflections. The rest of you are of no concern to me."

"Oh really?" Kento barked back. "Why don't you come down here and say that to my face?"

"I think we have other concerns, Kento." Hilde replied, looking off into the low mist. "Look!"

Within the mist were swarms of Dynasty soldiers, all armed and ready to fight them all. The group moved in together as the soldiers piled in, surrounding them.

"Well, well." Duo humored. "The welcoming committee."

The soldiers began to close in further, but then they suddenly parted, leaving a space open in front of Heero. As they began to wonder about this, Arctic replied.

"I want no interference in our match, Reflections. I want the pleasure of destroying with my own hands." Arctic soon bent his knees and then shot high into the air, landing on the opposite side of the soldier's opening and with his saber drawn.

"This time, you will die."

Heero stared at his enemy/rival and summoned forth his armor in silence. Unsheathing his own blades, he strode through the soldiers.

"Mission accepted."

Heero walked on through the line of soldiers and toward Arctic. No soon had he passed did the soldiers close the line, encompassing the remaining warriors once again. The group clenched their fists as they got ready to fight.

"Here we go again." Sage muttered.

The battle began immediately as the soldier charged in to attack. The Ronins and Celestials leaped high up in the air and attacked in unison. Their bodies literally smashed into the Dynasty horde and the fighting began in earnest. While this went on, Heero and Zechs stood across from each other in readiness.

"Yahhh!"

- - - - - - - -

Dwelling Sanctuary 

"Hello? Anybody here?"

Quatre awoke from his rest again and walked out into the main chamber. At his call, Sally Po and Yuli came inside, followed behind by Lady Une.

"Quatre. You should be resting."

"It's okay. I'm better now." He looked around for his fellow warriors, but they were absent from the scene. "Where are the others?"

"Battle." answered Dais from the center end of the chamber. "Whiteblaze found Nanashi's forces nearby and they went to deal with it."

"I see." He then noticed Mia missing as well. "Did Mia go with them?"

Une decided to answer him there. "Mia left with Lady Kayura, but she didn't say where."

"I hope the guys are doing okay." Yuli sighed.

Quatre gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure they are, Yuli."

Sally nodded and then looked back at the blond Arabian. "In the meantime Quatre, I suggest you get some rest. I know that the armors heal you and everything, but you still took it pretty bad." She had seen the kind of recovery power the armors had and Mia had also informed her of how the armors heal their bearer, so long as they get the rest necessary to recover fully. Quatre relented to her order with a light-hearted smile.

"Okay. Very well."

Turning back to the room, she placed himself back on the cot and prepared to lay down. But before he did, he took a glimpse of the other occupant of the room and sighed sadly.

"Dorothy…"

- - - - - - - -

_**CHHRRKKKKK!**_

The two Celestials clashed against each other in a hard-pressed battle. Zechs came at Heero in a fury that was completely opposite of his previous attitude. Not only that, but Heero could tell that Zechs had indeed become stronger. During a clashing strike between the two, Heero was blasted backward by an icy slash and almost felled, but continued to hold his ground.

"Reflections. When will you learn that you are no match for me now? But I will give you this chance." He pointed his blade at Heero. "Submit to Nanashi or be destroyed."

Heero crossed his blades in front of himself. "Don't make me repeat it."

The icy Celestial smiled darkly. "I expected nothing less."

In a swift action, Zechs raised his sword and shot it downward, sending out a blast of cold that knocked Heero off his feet. As he slid on the icy ground, Zechs leap into the air and dove down to strike. Heero quickly pushed up his back and rolled away before Zechs could run him through. Flipping back to his feet, Heero unsheathed his second set of sword just as Zechs came at him again. The swords locked together in a brief struggle before Zechs twisted his saber around and smashed the hilt against Heero's face. He followed up with a kick to the side and finished with an overhead strike. Heero barely managed to block and was again floored to the ground. But this time, parts of his armor were frozen with ice shards on it. Zechs' powers were beginning to get through to him.

He had to stop this now…before it was too late.

Meanwhile, the others were doing well against the Dynasty soldiers. Though they were still unused to working as a single unit, they were able to smash through the hordes of enemy soldiers with what limited teamwork they knew in addition to the strength they've amassed through their training. Duo and Rowen were both taking down their share of Dynasty soldiers when Rowen looked over at Wufei, who was fighting alone against the horde and doing extremely well. _'Guess all that training paid off. But still, he shouldn't be fighting alone.'_

"Don't worry about him." Duo said, seeing the direction Rowen was looking. "He likes fighting alone."

"Ha!"

Nearby, Kento floored a soldier to the ground and followed up by grabbing its leg and tossing it in into an oncoming group. Another group stormed in from behind him and almost caught him by surprise when Trowa and Sage dove in, smashing them down with dive kicks. That was also accompanied by the pouncing form of Whiteblaze as he took down a soldier of his own.

"Watch you back, Kento." Sage admonished lightly.

Kento smiled a second before landing a punch on another approaching soldier, sending it flying into another group that was currently occupied with Ryo, Hilde and Cye. Ryo gave Kento a thumbs-up before returning his attention to the fight. Despite their best, the soldiers continued to pour in on them.

"We don't have time for this. **_To arms!_**"

In response, both Celestials and Ronin called forth the mystic power of their armors, now bringing the bulk of their power to bear. The Dynasty forces soon began to crumble under the might of the armored warriors just enough for them to see the current fighting between Heero and Zechs.

And it wasn't good…

Zechs had his saber down at Heero and was beginning to summon forth the full power of his armor. Heero managed to lift himself up as the icy winds began to whip around the area and center in to the summoner's blade.

"_**Winter's Heart!"**_

The ultrablast of sheer cold energy flashed out and came straight at Heero. Heero quickly rolled forward, grabbed his fallen swords and called forth his own power.

"_Mirrored Edge!"_

Slashing at the cold front, Heero created a field of energy, shielding himself from Zechs' attack. But the cold energy continued to pound on the shield and Heero could see it beginning to crack under the pressure.

"You're not going to win!" Zechs roared. "Not this time! HAAAA!"

The cold energy grew in power and the energy barrier Heero pulled up was beginning to crack more and more. Finally in a last ditch effort, Heero relinquished the barrier altogether and leaped out of the way of the attack. The ice energy whipped past and continued onward until it smashed into the ground and exploded into a glacier. Heero meanwhile tumbled onto the ground. His leg had been frozen solid in the aftermath of the attack and Heero was unable to rise up, despite his efforts. Zechs stood over him once again.

"Checkmate."

"Heero!"

Zech had only to curve his eye as he saw Wildfire descending upon him. But Zech made no effort to move, due to the even faster figure that had swooped in just above him. Ryo was completely caught off guard as a swift kick caught him in the face.

"I don't think so, Wildfire."

"What the…?" He found himself facing a masked female figure wielding a Starlight sword. Rising up, Ryo grumbled. "So you're…Lady Shiva."

"That's right. And I can't have you interfering now, Wildfire."

With a wave of her arm, she lashed out with a wave of energy, causing Ryo to leap out of the way. Immediately, Shiva jumped up in pursuit and she caught up to him in the air. Ryo was shocked at her speed and even more so when she struck him hard, sending him earthward speedily. Through reflex alone was Ryo able to land safely (though it ending up with him being in a crater). Shiva was still above him and calling her weapon's power again. It's full power…

"_**Star Sword Shine!"**_

A red aura of energy blasted out of her and shot into the skies above. A single star shimmered amidst the sky and in a flash; a ray of intense light shot down on Ryo and smothered him in it light. In that instant, both the Celestials and the Ronins froze.

"Ryo!"

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

As the energy poured in on Ryo, the other four Ronins began to glow as well, feeling the pain of their friend and releasing it in spheres of energy that shot into the energy and the Ronin. Ryo's scream continued, but it was soon silenced by an explosion of light blasting out from him.

And his eyes whirled with fire. _White fire…_


	32. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 30

-

_Armor of Inferno!_

The red armor of Wildfire shattered and became petals for the ultimate armor. The white armor appeared into view and exploded into streams of energy that surrounded Ryo and darkened his sub-armor. In a burst, the white gauntlets snapped onto Ryo's arms and engulfed him in a blaze of fire, bringing the rest of the armor on him. Finally, the leg armor snapped on and Ryo was left standing in a trail of fire, fully donned in the white armor of Inferno.

"Well, well." Shiva replied as she faced him. "The legendary white armor of Inferno. So glad to meet you."

As Ryo stood silent, a loud roar erupted behind him and Blackblaze leaped over his head. The armored tiger gave another roar as Ryo quickly unsheathed the Fervor Soulswords and crossed them. Shiva whirled her blade and stepped back into stance.

"Yes, let's start."

Ryo however didn't move yet. Rather looked down at his tiger companion. Blackblaze turned to him and Ryo shifted his eyes to the side. The tiger gave a low growl and with a loud cry, Ryo suddenly lunged at Shiva. Shiva met him head on and the result clash of blade ripped the grounds apart.

"Ah. Finally a worthy prey."

Meanwhile, Arctic watched the battle between the two for a while and then returned his attention to his intended target, who was still trying to rise up. However, the black ice blanketing his legs prevented such action and Heero fell down again.

"Now it ends."

Arctic turned his blade tip toward him and pulled his arm and blade back. Then with a sudden jerk, he stabbed forward, aiming his blade at Heero's head…

…only to have it deflected by a dark claw.

RRRROOOOAAAARRRRRR!

Blackblaze had leaped in just in the nick of time to hit the blade away from Heero. Arctic backed away as the armored tiger roared aloud, keeping his body between Arctic and Heero. Arctic frowned slightly at the interference.

"Stand aside, beast!"

Lifting his weapon once again, he lunged in to attack. Blackblaze roared once again and leaped up at him as well. Blade and claw met with armor and the two figures landed out of the sky and turned toward each other. Quickly, the armored tiger whirled around and attacked again. But Arctic wasn't caught unawares and swung out with his saber. With a clash of energy, Blackblaze was knocked out of his attack and landed on the opposite side in front of Heero again. Arctic narrowed his eyes.

"If you wish to die with him, then so be it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Nether Realm_

"So that is the legendary white armor of Inferno."

Nanashi watched the battle between the Ronins/Celestials and the Dynasty with keen interest, with Phoenix and Cyclone. It had not expected to see the armor of Inferno manifest itself, but was please all the while. It appears that the combined efforts of Arctic and Shiva had driven the heroes into that sort of desperation.

"Shiva and Arctic have done well indeed. Now let's see if they survive it."

Pheonis turned to her master in askance. "Master?"

"The power of the Inferno armor may be more than what either of them is prepared for. But in the end, they have served their purpose in this battle." The dark master paused for a moment to continue watching the battle. "Still, it would be interesting to see just how far they can go."

"You mean to use them to gauge the armor's power?" Cyclone reasoned.

"Exactly. So when they arrive here, we will have the advantage. Their greatest weapon will be useless against us."

Cyclone nodded in agreement, confidant in his master's abilities and intelligence. After all, it was the best plan of battle to know what your enemies' greatest weapon was capable of so that they could neutralize it. But the same could not be said for Pheonix, who was beginning to feel…something…Something different that was countering her loyalty to Nanashi.

Loyalty to Nanashi…or another..?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The group of Ronins and Celestials continued their fight against the Dynasty army. But the soldiers continued to come. And it appeared that the fighting capabilities of the heroes had diminished, particularly on the part of the Ronins. With their powers gone, they had to rely solely on their physical abilities.

_Khhaaahhh!_

Sage smashed his fist the nearest Dynasty soldier, knocking him back, but not down. Not giving up, Sage charged forward and kicked the soldier in the face and this time, he floored him. However, he was then quickly surrounded by Dynasty soldiers. And he was starting to feel exhaustion from the continual fighting.

"Ha!"

Just then, Trowa jumped in and kicked a path through the soldiers, slamming them all down. Settling beside Sage, he stood in stance as more began to come.

"Are you alright?"

The blond Ronin nodded. "Yeah. Just a little winded."

'_Winded?'_ Trowa had been fighting for as long as he had and even though he was beginning to tire, he wasn't half as exhausted as he appeared now. For an experienced warrior, he shouldn't be as wasted as he was now. Trowa glanced over at him and also realized that he felt different.

"Something is wrong."

Sage stood up and resumed his fighting stance. "Ryo's using the Inferno Armor. In order to do that though, he had to take the power of our armors."

"I see." He looked at the oncoming horde. "In that case…Armor of Tempest! Tao Kaichou!"

Sage quickly moved away as Trowa summoned forth his armor. The swirls of cloth soared up into the air, shattered into petals and descended upon Trowa, solidifying into the armor of Tempest. Without delay, Trowa whirled his staff over his head and smashed it across a group of Dynasty soldier, slamming them all down with a great force. Elsewhere, Duo and Hilde sensed the armor summoning of Trowa.

"Oh, we're taking it a step up, eh?" Duo grinned. Bringing his hands together… "_Armor of Hellfire! Tao Jitsu!_"

Hilde followed as well. "_Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!_"

Finally, from his area in the battlefield, Wufei sensed the armors summoning. "So be it. _Armor of Oceania! Tao Meiyou!_"

The three armors of the Celestial Warriors formed over their counterparts and thus, the full power of Tempest, Hellfire, Crystal, and Oceania were brought to bear on the battlefield. With the Ronins temporarily powerless, it would be up to them to pick up the pace.

Just another day at work…

- - - - -

Shiva is quite possibly the deadliest warrior the Ronins and the Celestials ever faced. Armed with the Starlight Sword, she moved with the grace of a dancer and with speed of lightning. Her attacks struck with blows of incredible force…

…all of which meant little against the power of the Armor of Inferno.

Shiva slid back after Ryo deflected one of her blows. Sopping short, she waved her blade around as Ryo came at her with a cry. With a double slash, Ryo attacked, but Shiva simply leaped over the attack and landed right behind Ryo. Upon landing, Shiva spun around to catch Ryo in the back, but Ryo twisted around as well and blocked her attack. The two combatants struggled with each other and sparks flashed between the pressed blades.

"Impressive, Inferno. But do you really think you can beat me?"

Ryo's only response was a roar as he forcefully pushed back, knocking Shiva down. Shiva flipped upward as Ryo struck down and landed aside. In return, Shiva charged back while he was still rising and stabbed forward. Ryo quickly lifted his blade to deflect the attack, but Shiva re-aimed her blade and struck both of the, knocking the Fervor Soulswords out of his hand. But her attack cost her as she was close enough for Ryo to link his arm around hers and fling her through the air. Shiva twirled through the air and landed softly, but by that time, Ryo was already powering up, with his fists crossed in the air.

"_**Rage of Inferno!"**_

His fist engulfed in fire, Ryo shot it forward, letting out a blast of superpowered fire. Shiva gasped in surprise and lifted her sword in defense as the attack exploded on contact, spreading flame and heat everywhere. The icy grounds melted instantly and Shiva was hurled to the ground.

Meanwhile, Arctic was still trying to battle through Blackblaze in order to get to Heero. The armored tiger put up more resistance than he anticipated and he was beginning to become annoyed by it. But then the blast of Ryo's attack swept over to them, causing Arctic to whirl around and defend himself. The heat swirled on by, causing Arctic to grit his teeth and bend down. The waves finally flew on by and Arctic struggled to rise, but found himself weakened by the attack. _'How could I…be weakened by this?'_ But it was about to get worse for him as he saw a figure rise up over him.

Reflections…Heero…

At the central battle, Ryo looked through the smoke and flame he had created and was surprised to see Lady Shiva still standing there in defense posture. But it wasn't without price. Shiva looked weakened by blast as parts of her garments were scorched and her mask cracked severely. _'Man, she is tough.'_ Not taking any chances, Ryo picked up his swords, but as soon as he grabbed hold of them, Shiva lunged. Ryo's eyes widened, but on instinct, he lifted his blades in defense and quickly pushed her back. Noticing that her attack was weaker than before, Ryo took the offensive again, attacking with a double swipe. The swords clashed loudly and caused Shiva's mask to crack more. Ryo let out one more slash and the mask of Shiva could not take any more.

_**Kssshh!**_

Meanwhile, Heero had moved over Arctic, swords ready in hand. Thanks to Ryo's attack, his leg was no longer frozen and he had managed to rise up to his feet, all the while weakening Arctic due to the opposites of element. Heero lifted his blade upon the weakened Arctic.

"You're finished, Zechs."

But before he could strike, the sound of Shiva's mask shattering caught his attention. It was a very brief moment, but once he caught glimpse, his attack on Arctic was all but forgotten as his eyes were frozen in place on the revealed Shiva.

"Relena…?"


	33. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 31

-

Dwelling Sanctuary 

Outside the dojo dwelling, Kale, Dais Sekmet and Quatre were looking out in the distance at the sky. Behind them, Lady Une saw them and moved beside Quatre.

"Is there something wrong, Quatre?"

Quatre answered slowly. "I'm…I'm not sure. I don't think there anything wrong. But I…can feel a powerful force from where they are fighting."

"So it's come down to that, it seems." Sekmet said suddenly.

Quatre turned to him. "Huh? What do you mean?"

The green-haired warrior replied. "The Ronins have summoned the armor of Inferno. The power you are sensing right now is streaming from the white armor itself."

"Really?" Quatre turned back to the skies, sensing the great energy from the Inferno armor. It was as though the sun itself was radiating out there.

"Yes. That means that they must be having a really hard time in the battle out there." Sekmet finished.

'_And I'm stuck here…'_ Quatre thought as he lowered his head. Slowly, unconsciously, his hand began to clench into a fist. But Une noticed his actions and quickly moved to dispel it.

"Quatre, don't even think about it."

Quatre blinked. "What…?" When Une gazed down, his eyes followed, showing his now tightly clenched fist.

"I know you want to help them. We all do. But as of right now, we can do anything other than hope for their victory." She then added lowly. "And you haven't fully recovered from the previous fight yet, have you?"

"No." he admitted. "But still, I can't just stand back and do nothing."

"There's no point in going, Dune." Dais replied. "You are not the only one who wants to help."

Before Quatre could respond, Kale added in. "As warriors, standing on the sidelines while others battle is a difficult task. But we all have our parts to play. Yours at the moment is to heal so that you can be strong enough to fight. Understand?"

Quatre sighed, unable to stand up to the logic of the three Ronins and Lady Une. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Do not worry, Dune. You will not need to wait long to help your friends."

The group turned toward the trees to see Lady Kayura and Mia walk out into the clearing toward them. Mia seemed a little tired and worn, but from what, they couldn't say. Kayura stood in the midst of them and declared.

"The time has come…to take the fight to them."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Battlefield 

"Relena…?"

Heero was frozen still over the fallen body of Arctic as his eyes gazed upon the true face of Lady Shiva. _'Impossible…'_ was all he could think. But it was her; blond hair, aquamarine eyes, and delicate features. Only the expression of her eyes was different. There was no warmth or care, no trust and assurance. Just a cold rage and dark intent…

Almost as his was once…

Ryo was just as surprised to see who his opponent really was. Almost the entire world knew about the former Queen, Relena Peacecraft and of her fight to bring true peace to the Earth and the colonies. To find that a woman who would never resort to violence, who would die without giving up her beliefs, was now the most powerful and dangerous of Nanashi's warriors, was a shock to say the least. And it was a shock that both Shiva and Arctic used to their advantage as Shiva pushes back hard on Ryo and flips away. Arctic did likewise, slamming his shoulder into Heero's chest and backing away, moving up beside his sister.

"We must deal with the Inferno Armor." Shiva said to Arctic in a low voice.

Arctic half-snarled. "My opponent is Reflections."

"Worry not." Shiva smirked evilly. "When Inferno falls, Reflections will follow."

The armored head of Arctic turned to the unmasked Shiva slightly and then the cold eyes began to center in on Ryo. Even though his mission was the destruction of Reflections, that would not happen with Ryo there to aid him, especially with the Inferno armor. Basically, Ryo was in the way.

"Very well then."

With that, Arctic rushed in, saber flying by his side as he came in on Ryo. Ryo met the charge and the three blades clashed aloud and locked together. Ryo was a bit surprised by the sudden attack of Arctic, but even more surprised when Shiva leaped over him and struck down with the Starlight Sword. Ryo strained and struggle to break out of the lock and meet with Shiva's attack, with the same result. Arctic pressed the attack, stabbing in toward Ryo's exposed side, but Ryo was able to avoid it by kicking aside, breaking Shiva's lock in the process and gaining some room in order to figure out how to deal with them. Unfortunately, they didn't give him the time and dark brother and sister came at him immediately.

'Oh man…' 

_**KSSSSHHHHHHHHH!**_

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Not far away, the Celestials take up the battle against the soldiers of Nanashi, with the weakened Ronins acting as backup. With their armors active, the Celestials pick up the pace, demolishing the Dynasty warriors with minimal effort. Yet, despite this, the soldiers continued to pour on in waves.

"This is crazy." Hilde shouted as she hacked down a group of soldiers. "They just won't back down."

Another group fell by Wufei's rapier. "Then we keep fighting until they do."

Rowen soared through the air and kicked one in the face. Another grabbed him from behind, but released him a minute later and fell, due to Trowa's intervention.

"Thanks, Trowa. But it looks like we have more company."

True to words, more soldiers began to advance on them. Rowen regarded this. 'This is crazy. Not even Talpa could pull up a force like this.' But that just showed him just what they were dealing with. Nanashi was far more powerful that Talpa and these lines of soldiers proved it. But even so…

"YAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Following a battle cry, the curved scythe of Duo ripped through a score of soldiers, dashing them to pieces. But upon seeing the oncoming horde, Duo glared at them.

"Alright, fellas. Time to heat things up."

Raising his scythe, Duo began to twirl weapon, instantly calling up heat waves around him. The others close by moved out of the path as the circle of fire began to form from the spinning weapon.

"_**Armor of Hellfire! Demon Gate!"**_

The torrent of dark flames issued out of the circle, engulfing all that were in its path. Soldiers were incinerated from several feet away as the Celestial blasted them. Yet when the attack ended, still more came up against them.

"What's the deal with these guys? They just keep coming."

The group of warriors held their positions as the endless legion of soldiers began to move in on them.

"There may be a way to stop them all." Sage suggested.

Duo held his scythe up and across. "I'm all ears."

"You guys will have to link up your powers and bring them together."

Kento nodded in understanding. "Right. Just like when we first attacked Talpa's castle. You guys can bring your armor powers together. That will create a combined force of incredible power."

Hilde blinked. "We can do that?"

"I hope so." Cye answered. Looking at the oncoming horde... "It's the only shot we have right now."

In truth, the Ronins weren't too sure about this plan. Without Quatre or Heero, the circle would be incomplete, so they wouldn't be able to pull up the full force of their might. But it might be enough to get rid of the Dynasty soldiers. It wasn't certain.

Duo shrugged casually. "No harm in trying."

"Agreed." added Trowa.

The four jumped in and assembled together, allowing themselves to be surrounded in the process. The Celestials had never done this before and they would only have one shot at it. One by one, their armors shimmered and glowed, showing their powers were coming into alignment. As they concentrated and focused their power, their virtues shimmered on their foreheads.

"_Kindness."_

"_Harmony."_

"_Love."_

"_Honor."_

A transparent field formed around the four, causing the soldiers to stop in their advance. Suddenly, streams of energy blasted out like lightning, striking down everything around them. The Ronin hit the dirt as the Dynasty soldiers were blasted down by the dozens. The ground shook underneath the tremendous force and in moments, the soldiers where all gone. The circle faded away and the Celestials bent down in exhaustion.

"It worked." Duo panted. "No sweat."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The combined assault of Shiva and Arctic continued on Ryo as the two warriors relentlessly struck at him. To his credit though, Ryo was actually holding his own again them, deflecting their attacks and countering with a few of his own. It was becoming clear that there was more power in the Inferno armor that meets the eye. But even so, the wielder has limits and they kept that in mind as the dark warriors struck at him continuously.

Heero meanwhile, was recovering from Arctic's earlier shoulder rush, which had caused him to lose his footing and fall. With Blackblaze's help, he was able to get up, despite the ill effects of his leg being frozen as well as the heat of the superfire of Ryo's attack that melted it off. But such a thing was minor to a guy who could stand up after plummeting off a building, rolling around the side of a rocky hill and smashing into the sands of the beach. He looked as the battle waged between the three and he saw Ryo holding his own against them.

Them…

Heero has already shown that he has no qualms about battling Zechs. This wasn't the first time the two have been on opposite sides and certainly wasn't the first time they've battled one another. If Heero had to, he would kill Zechs.

But Relena…that was another story…

Speaking of which, Shiva lunged into attack once again, her sword now radiating with energy. Ryo swung around just in time to block it. But the energized attack sent Ryo flying back through the air. In mid-air, Ryo spun into a flip and is therefore ready for Arctic's charge. Ryo launches a side cut and surprisingly hits Arctic, but then the warrior turned into ice and shattered to pieces.

'What the…?' 

Meanwhile, the real Arctic was coming up from behind Ryo, saber ready to impale the Ronin. But in the last minute, Heero jumped in and stopped him, locking blades with him. Ryo turned upon hearing the clash and was glad to see Heero backing him up. Arctic's earlier anger began to return until his eye swerved up and he jumped back, smiling.

"Goodbye, Reflections."

Both Celestial and Ronin turned and looked upward to see Shiva high in the air, Starlight Sword now crackling with energy. Both armored warriors jumped away as she struck down, shattering the ground underneath. Spare them no time, Shiva dashed at Ryo and slashed at his side. Ryo Ryo raised his blades, allowing her to slide by in a parry and leave her back open. Wheeling around, Ryo slashed downward, only to be blocked.

…by the sword of Mirage…

"Heero?"

Heero was again frozen and his eyes showed surprise at his own action. He had just protected Lady Shiva. _'But why?'_ She was the enemy and thus had to be stopped. But instead, he defended her against an attack that would have done just that.

And that was why he stopped it.

Both Ryo and Heero were so surprised that they didn't see Shiva rolling out of the way as her attack had been the feint and giving Arctic enough time to charge for the true attack, summoning the full power of ice and cold around his saber.

"_**Winter's Heart!"**_

The blast of ice swooped in on the two and they were unable to avoid it as they were completely engulfed in the ice. The entire area exploded in cold and ice and fragments shattered everywhere. Shiva moved beside Arctic as the icy warrior gazed on, seeing nothing but solid ice. At such force, there was no way either Heero or Ryo could have survived. With a look of contentment, Arctic walked away with Shiva following behind him.

Meanwhile, the others had finally managed to get through all of the Dynasty soldiers and were heading over to where they had seen the ice explosion. Coming upon it, they found the solid block of ice, shaped like a giant spike falling sideways.

"Heero…Ryo…" Hilde whispered, faintly sensing their presence inside. "We have to get them out of there."

But Rowen's eyes widened suddenly. "Everyone back, now!"

No sooner did he say that that the ice block began to crack rapidly. Obeying Rowen's words, the group moved away just as it exploded in a torrent of flame. Shards of ice spewed everywhere, causing the warriors to duck. When the explosion ended, the group looked up to see steam rising from the center of the battlefield and within it, two figures.

"Ryo! Heero!" Duo called out. "You guys okay?"

Ryo waved at him in answer, but Heero merely looked away, his face solid, but within, distraught. Because of his action, they were almost killed. They would have been if not for Ryo and the Inferno armor. Gripping the swords of Mirage in his hands, he lowered his head.

"…I…failed…"


	34. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 32

-

Relena…

On the forest edge of the sanctuary, Heero stood alone need the side of a high cliff. Though his face did not show it, he was deep in thought and conflict. Relena was revealed to be Lady Shiva, one of their most deadly adversaries. And he had frozen in the middle of a fight because of it, something that has never happened to him. And if that wasn't bad enough, the worse fact drove in like a stake.

He had defended her…

He still can't understand how that happened. He didn't remember even thinking it. He just rushed over and stopped Ryo from making the critical blow and because of that, they were almost killed. Had it not been for the white armor of Inferno, they would have.

Frustrated, Heero clenched his fist. That wasn't the first time he had protected Relena when to let her die would have been better. In the beginning when she had discovered who he was, he swore to kill her. Yet, when the debris fell on her, he used his Wing Gundam to save her instead without thought and knowing that it would have been better for him if she had died. Relena, the source of all his troubles…and…

Shaking the thought away, he cleared his mind of the past. Now, there was more going on and he was needed to fight again, in a different battle, but for the same reasons. For Earth and Outer Space. If Relena…if Shiva comes against them again, he would have to do what is necessary.

Just then, the shrubbery shuffled behind him and a lone Whiteblaze came out of the foliage. Heero turned to the white tiger as Whiteblaze stared at him for a moment and then turned around. Heero understood what that meant. It was time to head back.

It was time to fight…

------------------------------------------

Dojo Dwelling 

The team once again assembled in the central chamber after they had tended to their wounds. It was at this time that Ryo informed them of the secret of Lady Shiva; that she was in fact Relena Dorlian. The group was shocked by this new information.

"I don't get it." Duo said in dismay. "Why would she join the Dynasty? That's just not…real."

Kayura answered in a low voice. "The same way I was taken in, I'm afraid. She is being controlled just as the other Celestials are. And it is worse in her case."

"What do you mean worse?" Hilde questioned.

"From what Wildfire has told us and from what I had uncovered in my own battle, Relena's purity of spirit allows her to tap into a great deal of the Starlight Sword's power." Her expression became solemn. "She will continue to grow stronger the longer she is in possession of that weapon."

"Miss Relena…" Quatre whispered sadly, now knowing partly why Heero wasn't there. When the group returned, Heero wasn't in among them. It wasn't unusual, but Quatre had long sensed that something was wrong.

Yuli soon spoke in. "There must be something we can do."

"There is. Mia must face her."

That came as a shock to them, mostly by the elemental Ronins. "What?"

Kayura went on to explain. "With the second sword, Mia is the only one that can possibly counter Shiva successfully without bringing her to harm." She gazed over at the spoken woman. "It will be difficult, but I believe she can do this."

"Well, it will certainly be weird." Kento replied after awhile. "No offence Mia, but I'm used to the whole protecting you gig."

Mia gave a light smile. "I understand Kento. It's a little different for me too." Her eyes lowered a bit. "But I've watched you guys fight hard against the Dynasty and at times, I wish I could be of more help to you in the battlefield. I guess this is my chance now."

"But you do help us, Mia." Sage reassured. "Without you, I doubt we would have beaten Talpa to begin with."

Rowen added. "Sage is right. Chances are, we'd probably still be locked in those resting places we were separated in. We owe you big time."

Looking at their faces, Mia saw that they believed what he had said. "Thanks guys." However, coming upon Ryo, she saw his face in a deep frown. "Ryo?"

"I…I don't know." he answered slowly. "It's…I just don't want you in any unnecessary danger."

Mia's eye widened a bit by his concern, but no one noticed because that was when Kento jumped in to speak.

"Hey, are you kidding? If she gets into trouble, she's got us. It's not like she'll be alone, Ryo."

Ryo nodded, but his face remained unchanged. "I…guess you're right."

Kayura nodded in approval. "Good." Just then, Heero entered in, with Whiteblaze in the lead. A few of them glanced at him, but he said nothing and stood in his usual posture on the nearby wall. Kayura then finished her comment. "…Because the time has come for us to take the fight into the Dynasty itself."

"It looks like I've missed everything."

Surprise hit everyone again as they turned to the speaker, who was standing in the doorway of the adjourning room.

Dorothy Catalonia…

------------------------------------------

Nether Realm 

Below the frightening towering fortress of Nanashi, a small garden was dwelling. Flowering plants flowed around beautifully, partially dispelling the terrible castle above. Within this garden, Trieze strolled through the path of flowers.

"I once had a garden like this on Earth. Just as beautiful."

Behind him, Mariemaia walked with him. As before, the girl was quiet but this time for a different reason. Since their last meeting, she had been thinking over her father's words. 'Salvation in darkness… What could that mean?'

"Would you care to tell me what you're thinking? Please."

The voice was gentle, but the eyes and face didn't match up. _Perhaps this is how her father always looked?_ Unlikely... The photograph she had of him showed a very different man. But perhaps the photo was altered somehow? Meanwhile, Treize waited as she sought for an answer to his question and answered it, in part.

"I was…" She paused to organize her thought more clearly. "I don't understand why all of this is necessary. The Earth is at peace, is it not? Why do we need Nanashi?"

"But it is a peace that will not last." Trieze countered. "Eventually, fighting will flare up from the Earth, or the colonies. And war will continue. Would it not be best to be ruled over someone who understands this? Someone who knows the darkness in the hearts of mankind? Someone who can tame such destructive power?"

Once more, her curiosity was sparked by his statement. "Tame it? How?"

"Nanashi is a great master." he answered, looking up at the fortress as he did. "He has shown me and the others a sample of this power. He can curb the darkness, making us stronger from it instead of being afraid. With that, war will cease, utterly and completely. No one will have a reason to fight anymore, because all are the same." He lowered his head down back to her. "All are powerful and strong."

Mariemaia had nothing to say against that. He words were convincing and there was truth in it. She lowered her eyes, returning back to the deep thought that was unseen for a person of her age. Trieze simply looked at the girl and then plucked one of the nearby flowers.

"You may stay in the garden as long as you like." Flower still in hand, he tucked it within the folds of her hair, just above her ear. He then lifted his hand to gain her attention. It succeeded and Mariemaia was introduced to a small house, lined with flowers all around.

"My…gift to you, dear Mariemaia."

------------------------------------------

Dojo Sanctuary 

"Miss Dorothy. You're awake."

"Formal as always, Quatre." she replied back. "And thank you for noticing."

"Dorothy, you should be resting still…" Sally began, moving up to her side. But Dorothy waved a hand in dismissal.

"I'm quite alright, although from what I've just heard, you aren't." She placed a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "So Miss Relena has become a Dynasty warrior. My, that is a switch."

"That's not funny, Dorothy." Duo shot back.

"I don't mean to make a joke." Her gaze then centered in on Heero. "But even you must admit the irony of this situation."

When Heero didn't respond (as expected), Cye interjected. "That's not important right now. Our focus should be on our next move."

"Right. When we enter into the Nether Realm, we will have to attack Nanashi's fortress. But it will not be easy." Kayura glance shifted to Dais. "Dais discovered that Nanashi is guarded by five Sentinels, each one as power and as malignant as Talpa. In order to even get through, we would have to beat these Sentinels one by one."

"Man, talk about a tough break." Hilde sighed. "Five Sentinels, not to mention the three Dark Celestials and Re…" He paused and rephrased, feeling a few glance aimed at her direction. "Lady Shiva."

Wufei folded his arms. "If they are as strong as you say, it should be quite the challenge."

"I get the feeling you're looking forward to this, Wu-man." Duo smiled.

"You could say that." He then frowned. "And don't call me that, baka."

Kayura continued her briefing." To conserve energy, only a few of you will fight against one. Hopefully, we won't have to use the armor of Inferno again until we face Nanashi."

"Then we better get a move on it." Kento replied almost happily, cracking his knuckles. "No sense in waiting here, right?"

"Yeah. The longer we wait, the stronger Nanashi becomes." Trowa added.

"Then let's go."

------------------------------------------

Nanashi's Chamber 

"Kearac, Tareis, Molouch, Baltra, Xerkha, come forth."

At that command, five shadowy warriors materialized before Nanahi, each one shaped in different forms, but unseen due to the shadows. The kneeling figures were silent as the spectral master spoke.

"We have come, master."

"The Ronins and the Celestials will soon be coming against this fortress. You know what must be done."

"Yes master. Their destruction will be immediate."

"They will not pass us. They will fall before our might."

"Our lives are at your command. Your wish is our purpose."

"They will submit or die, master."

The crimson eyes of their dark master gleamed in approval as he replied to them

"Go. Let your force be known."

------------------------------------------

The group of sixteen soon stood before a gateway into the Nether Realm. Lady Kayura soon strode on in front and raised the staff. The headpiece began to glow lightly and the massive gates soon creaked open. The other soon joined beside her and looked on what could be their greatest challenge yet.

"So this is it." Hilde said lowly. "There's no turning back now."

Ryo turned to Mia, who was standing just beside him. "Mia, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, of course Ryo." she nodded in answer, holding the Starlight Sword in her hand

"Hey wait up."

The team turned to see Lady Une, Dorothy, Sally and Yuli come up behind them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Duo questioned.

"We're coming with you." Yuli answered as he caught up with them.

"This is dangerous enough." Ryo replied. "We can't let you guys get in trouble as well."

Une retorted back. "You're not letting us do anything. I must find Mariemaia, so talking me out of it is a futile gesture." _'And to see Master Trieze once again'_ she thought secretly.

"That goes for me too." Dorothy added. "Besides, I'd like to see this new Relena."

Sally lightly shook her head. "Well, I may not have that same curiosity as Dorothy here, but I am a doctor. You can bet that you guys will need me on this if the fighting is going to be that bad."

"And you can't just leave me behind." Yuli finished, having no real reason for going other than that he wanted to go.

The group looked among each other questioning and then turned to Kayura, who simply answered "It would seem that they are right. They are probably safer with us now that the Sanctuary is unguarded. And we can keep the Jewel of Life close to us as well. Just be careful. This place is not safe for mortals and you can very well end up in a great deal of danger."

A low roar came out from Whiteblaze and he positioned himself with the four. Ryo looked at his tiger and smiled.

"Okay Whiteblaze. We'll leave it up to you to back them up."

Another roar echoed out of the white tiger and now the entire group turned back to the gateway, which was now full opened

"Alright. Here we go!"


	35. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 33

-

The gates of the Nether Realm opened up into the dark world and the group of heroes stepped on through. Surrounding them was as world that was simply the opposite of what they knew. Eerie, shadowed, decaying…

"Such an…interesting place."

The comment came from Dorothy and at that, a few of them gave her odd looks.

"That's…one way to put it." Cye shrugged. Even the Ronins were unused this the feeling this place gave off whenever they entered, with the exceptions of Kale, Dais, Sekmet and Kayura, who had served as Warlords in this realm and thus used to the realm's aura.

"We better get moving." Ryo said. "Let's go."

The group moved through the land, with the Ronins and Celestials walking around the unarmored group. As they went on, Lady Une glanced over at Dorothy, who was walking just ahead of her. Something seemed off about her. It wasn't her earlier comment, no, for everyone knew what the blond girl's attitude was like. But there was something…off about her, something the Preventor commander couldn't explain.

For that matter, she had been feeling strange sensations ever since this whole mess started. She still wasn't sure how she managed to protect Mariemaia the first time when Toka arrived to take the Jewel of Light. And at the Sanctuary, she felt indescribable things. She could have notched it down to instinct, but it wasn't like that at all.

It was as if something inside her…was awakening.

Une shut her eyes briefly. Now wasn't the time to dwell on something that was becoming a distraction. She had to help the team and save Mariemaia, even if she had to go through her father to do it.

'Master Trieze…' 

"There."

Dais called the attention of the group and pointed out in the distance, revealing Nanashi's dark fortress. The first thing they noticed was that they couldn't see the top, for it was obscured by black clouds and an evil aura. From what they could see though, the place was huge, far bigger than Talpa's castle. Five times at best.

"I'll give it to Nanashi." Duo commented. "He sure knows how to live it up."

"No joke about that." Sage agreed.

Kayura examined the land before her. "I'm sure Nanashi's expecting us to come, so keep a look out for traps. The Nether Realm is quite full of them."

The team continued on, continuing slowly through the land in wait of an ambush or something along those lines. If that was the case, they had to be more than ready. The last time, Nanashi's forces had almost overwhelmed them by sheer numbers. It was crazy to say the least. Even the Celestials, who were used to fight insane numbers in their gundams, saw it as overkill. Perhaps it may have only seemed like large numbers because of the weakened Ronins, whose powers were used for the Armor of Inferno. But this time, they would all fight here. The castle soon loomed closer and so far there had been no dangers. But this just made the team all the more cautious.

"I don't like this." Hilde said after a quick scan around. "Not to state the obvious, but this is…"

"…Way too easy." Rowen finished. "Yeah."

Kento grinned. "Maybe they heard about the awesome might of the Ronin of Strength and ran off. I don't blame them." He flexed his arms. "I'd run to if I had to face me."

A few chuckles were heard, lightening the mood for them and allowing them to continue on without undue stress. Heero on the other hand, was silent, keeping his eye on the citadel they were coming up upon and knowing of whom he would face.

Lady Shiva... Relena Dorlian…

While he knew that Mia would be designated to handle her, he knew the woman was no warrior whereas Shiva had dished out several victories against them already. If it came down to it, Heero would take care of Shiva himself. He couldn't allow himself to hope that Mia would somehow defeat Shiva and bring back Relena.

No matter how much he wanted to…

From across the group, Quatre could sense the dark cloud that hung over the Celestial of Reflections. He knew what Heero was worried about and he didn't blame him. Heero would want to do the right thing, even if it did conflict with his feelings. Yes, more than anyone else with the exception of Duo, Quatre knew how Heero felt about Relena. Truly felt…

The group finally came to within a mile of the stronghold when a blast of wind erupted from out of nowhere. The warriors prepared themselves for battle and soon enough, a dark being materialized before them. The creature was heavily armored and huge, standing a good two feet above everyone. Crimson eyes gleamed down and two massive spiked maces were produced in the creature's hands. The being took a step forward, shattering the ground as it and addressed the warrior in a raged voice.

"I am Molouch, the Sentinel of Pain! By Lord Nanashi's might, you will suffer!"

Ryo began to settle into battle stance. "Alright, here we go."

"Wait, Wildfire." Kayura said suddenly. Ryo stopped and turned to her as she spoke. "I suggest that a smaller group face him. We can not afford to waste all of our power in one battle." Turning to him… "And we can't risk you using the Armor of Inferno just yet."

"She's right." Trowa replied. "Tactically, we have the advantage, but we must gauge his strength first. If we fall, then it will be up to the rest of you."

Ryo blinked amusedly. "We? Are you volunteering, Trowa?"

"I believe I've already made that clear." was the unamused reply.

"Well, then I'm in too." Kento said, stride forward next to Trowa. "I've been itching for a fight."

Kale stepped up as well. "As am I."

"Count me in too." Wufei came up as well.

Ryo nodded and backed away, letting the four move up to the plain-so-to-be-battlefield. Yuli rushed up to see and called out.

"Be careful guys."

Kento turned and gave a thumb-up. "Don't sweat it, Yuli. We've got this guy covered."

The four soon stood before the behemoth warrior, who glared down at them. "Only four? You dare mock me by sending scraps!"

"Buddy, you're about to eat those words." With nothing else that needs to be said, Kento started off.

"Armor of Hardrock! Tao Gi!" "Armor of Tempest! Tao Kaichou!" "Armor of Oceania! Tao Meiyou!" "Tao Tei!" 

The four armors swirled onto the Ronins/Celestials, encompassing them in their signature armors and the powers that came with it. Molouch wasted no time in attack, lunging at them with a great roar and smashing his maces down. The warriors leaped away and the ground shattered and trembled, causing the others to nearly lose their footing. Meanwhile, the airborne warriors dove in for attack. Kento was first, whirling his naginta to gain momentum and swung it down on the Sentinel. But Moulouch was quick in seeing his attack coming and jumped back in avoidance. Kale soon swooped in just as Moulouch landed, but the massive warrior dodged the attack again, much to Kale's surprise.

'What? Such speed…' 

Molouch soon landed just as Trowa did. His quarterstaff whirling, Trowa dashed in and attacked. Molouch defended against the attack with his mace and quickly swept the other one past Trowa's legs, tripping him from underneath. The dark creature prepared to smash down, but Trowa used the momentum of the fall to roll away, just as Wufei came from the side of him, stabbing in with the rapier. But once again, Molouch dodged away and the rapier point hit nothing.

'Blast it! How can he be that fast?' 

Molouch landed away and the four warriors grouped again to reevaluate this dark warrior. Despite his size, he moved really fast. It was bad enough that they would be dealing with his strength and force, but to know that he can use it with such speed as well worsened the situation.

"It's just as I thought." Molouch taunted. "Nothing but scraps. A waste of time." He then lifted his arm and with it, one of his monster maces.

"Now it is time for you to see why I am the Sentinel of Pain!"

And with a battle-roar, he attacked…


	36. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 34

-

"**RAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

The gigantic mace of Moulouch slammed down to the earth once, forcing the Ronins/Celestials to scattered about once again. So far, the team of four wasn't handling this well. Not only was the Sentinel equipped with sheer brute force, but also with outrageous speed that allowed him to follow up attacks as well as avoid opposing strikes.

"Well, this isn't going well."

On the sidelines, the rest of the team watched the battle and saw the downward direction it was going, just noted by Dorothy.

Lady Une was forced to agree. "A creature of that strength, coupled with such speed, makes for a formidable opponent."

"Don't worry." Yuli asserted. "They'll pull through this, just like they always do."

Nearby, Mia nodded, but kept silent. The battles as of late were different than the ones of the past, more strenuous to the team. And now, in the heart of Nanashi's power, they would only get fiercer and more draining on them. Especially for Ryo, who would more than likely be called upon to summon the Armor of Inferno to fight again. Looking over at the fiery Ronin, she saw him clenching his fists and knew it was only a matter of time before he did something reckless…again.

'Ryo…Please don't…' 

Meanwhile, the four warriors continued their battle, once again surrounding the Sentinel. But they knew that this was a wasted tactic. The Sentinel wasn't trying to escape and outmatched them at every turn. They had to find a way to…

"Yaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Kento charged into attack, spinning his naganita and swinging in to attack from the back corner. Moulouch turned his head, which signaled Kale and Trowa in to charge. Kento struck down at Moulouch, only to have the Sentinel disappear from sight. Kento expected that though and as he touched down, he traced the path of Moulouch run and fired off the head of his weapon in pursuit. Moulouch wheeled around to see the thick bark of metal come at him and slapped it away with his mace. But he was left open to the attack by Trowa's quarterstaff, but somehow wound up blocking it.

"Rahhh!"

Another feint... From behind, Kale dove in at him from the sky, the Sword of Darkness gleaming with energy and he slashed down. In a rush of force, Moulouch whirled out of the lock Trowa had him in and warped away before Kale's attack could land, leaving the sword to shatter the grounds instead.

"Your puny tricks will not stop me!"

In retaliation, the Sentinel charged forward and mowed down Trowa and Kale together like a Mack truck. Kento rushed in to attack as his two comrades were tossed about in the air.

"Yeeeahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Moulouch wheeled around and struck out, causing his weapon to smash against Kento and knocking them both backward with tremendous force. But Kento was hit more by it as he nearly fell on his knees.

"Kento!"

Ryo began to move in toward the fight, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and held him in place. Looking back, he was surprised by who it was that was restraining him.

Heero…

"There's no point in fighting when you don't have to."

Ryo began to glare, but noticed that Heero's gaze was still focused on the battle. Turning back, he looked as the small team slowly worked to recover from the attack. They weren't out yet and Ryo had to trust them to finish things off. With a low sigh, Ryo relaxed and only then did Heero move his hand off.

"As I said, you send me nothing but scraps. I want a true warrior!"

"Some warrior you are, revealing your weakness like that."

Moulouch turned and glared at the speaker, Wufei. "Amusing to hear you say that Oceania, since you have done nothing at all."

Wufei held his glance at the giant creature. "On the contrary, I've been doing quite a bit."

"I'm sure that quaking in fear doesn't count as doing something."

The Celestial leveled his rapier. "Then come at me a find out."

The crimson eyes of the Sentinel narrowed and he charged at Wufei. With a mighty swing, Moulouch struck down at Wufei, but only hit the ground as Wufei had evaded his attack. Turning, Moulouch quickly dashed at him again, stabbing his mace forward this time. Wufei parried the blow and use the force to push him away. Moulouch charged once again with blinding speed and almost caught Wufei flatfooted. But Wufei swiftly recovered, twirling in the air and landing on the ground.

With Moulouch upon him once again…

- - - - - - - -

_**Nanashi's Citadel**_

The darkness of Nanashi's chamber would fill many a people with dread and fear. So it was no surprise that these feelings were swarming through the young girl as she was lead into the chamber by her father.

"You have nothing to fear. Nanashi simply wished to meet you."

This did little to abate Mariemaia's fears, but she managed to fix herself a bit so that it wasn't so obvious. The two stood still and soon the ghastly image of Nanashi materialized before them. Trize immediately bent down on one knee and bowed, pulling Mariemaia down to the floor as well.

"So you are Mariemaia." Nanashi spoke in a deceptively whispered voice. "A pleasure to meet you face to face."

Mariemaia could help but fear the terror upon facing Nanashi, but she continued to hold what little courage she had left.

"Hello, Nanashi."

The dread figure smiled. "Truly your daughter. She possesses your mannerisms as well as you courage, Cyclone."

Trieze lifted his head, but not his eyes. "I am grateful that my master is pleased with her."

Nanashi soon redirected his attention back to Mariemaia. "I sense your fear. I assure you that I wish no harm upon you, dear girl."

Mariemaia continued to try and calm herself. "I did not mean any disrespect, Nanashi."

"No. Your fear is understandable. But in time, you will no longer need to fear me." The specter's eyes dulled. "Now, I have business with your father. You may return to your garden. It was a…pleasure to meet you."

Mariemaia curtsied Nanashi and then turned away, leaving the room as quickly as possible. As soon as she was gone, Nanashi spoke in his true voice.

"She is brave indeed. But will she be ours to control?"

Trieze nodded. "She is beginning to trust me. Soon, mine will be the only voice she listens to."

"Excellent. Soon, the Celestials will come and when they do, they will face my ultimate weapon against them." The specter let out a loud crackle before concluding his dark thought.

"_Her…_"

- - - - - - - -

**WHAM!**

The destructive maces of Moulouch shattered the ground as Wufei dodged aside from yet another blow. Both the Sentinel and the other watching from the side were in wonder as to what the Celestial of the oceans was doing.

"For all your talk, this is what you do?" Moulouch taunted as he charged at him again. "Run away?"

Wufei made no reply as he landed safely away. Sweat was streaking down his face from the constant dodging, but his eyes remained determined as he resumed his stance. Moulouch glared. _'Is he trying to make a mockery out of me? Me!'_ Rage fueled his next attack and this almost caught Wufei. But the Celestial managed the leap away by using the shock of Moulouch's smash to propel himself.

"Die, Celestial! DIE!"

"Look at him." Kento said as the fighting went on. "He's getting madder."

"And the angrier he gets, the stronger he presses on." Trowa added, also recovering from the earlier blows.

Kale looked closer at the way Wufei was moving about. "I think that's what Oceania has in mind."

Kento turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"Given his strength and speed, we're no match for him head on." the Ronin of Darkness explained. "So Oceania is egging him on in order to give us an opening."

Trowa nodded understandingly. "His anger will blind him to our attack."

Kale continued. "Even so, this is our one chance. If we mess this up, then we won't have a second.

Kento grinned as he tightened his grip around his naginita. "Then the first one will have to count, won't it?"

Back to the fight, Wufei continued to avoid Moulouch relentless assaults, which had sped up and increased in strength thanks to the Sentinel's rage. A close blow glanced Wufei's shoulder and leg, nearly causing him to drop his rapier and fall. Nevertheless, Wufei managed to jump aside to the far end, where the monstrous guard came upon him again. Wufei staggered slightly as the gigantic maces rose above him

"NOW YOU'RE MINE!"

Wufei looked up and Moulouch had a quarter of a second to see…a grin on his face. Wufei merely turned to the side as Kento jumped in, coming up behind him and toward Moulouch. In haste and seeing the pitiable trap, Moulouch ceased his attack and began to retreat backward. However, as he warped back, his leg was suddenly hit by a heavy blow. Moulouch almost fell backward and turned to see Trowa, quarterstaff in hand as it had connected with his leg. Rage again overcame Moulouch.

'The Ronin was a feint…' 

He didn't finish, for a streak of blade sliced right down his back, causing him to roar in pain. Kale had jumped in after Trowa slowed him down and made a quick attack to weaken him. Meanwhile, Kento was still coming in upon Moulouch from the front and disassembling his naginita, he sent the heavy metal bar right at Moulouch face, smashing into it and sending the Sentinel flying.

"Wufei! Now's your chance!"

Wufei swiftly jumps into the air and levels his blade forward. As he did, bubbles of water began to quickly form around him, soon becoming one massive bubble that encased him.

"_**Armor of Oceania! Tsunami Blast!"**_

With a heavy slash, Wufei released the torrent of water energy at Moulouch. Unable to defend himself, Moulouch was completed dominated by the Celestial's attack as it slammed into him and then exploded everywhere.

"How could this be! NOOOOOOO!"

The giant form disappeared within the torrent steam as Wufei completed his attack. The others, who had backed away from the assault, looked to see the damage resulting from the power of the armor of Oceania.

"That was awesome." Yuli cheered.

"I'll say." Sage agreed. "He didn't hold back on that one at all."

Sally simply sighed, seeing the young warrior land on the ground from the sky, gazing down at the crater of destruction he had made.

"That's Wufei for you."


	37. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 35

-

After the defeat of Moulouch, the team decided to halt in their advancement through the Nether Realm in order to heal and rest up a bit. During this time, Sally checked on the injuries of the four that had fought against the Sentinel. She had just finished tending to Kento's wounds, who gave his thanks. _'Haven't been a field medic in quite awhile. Sure brings back memories.'_ Nodding an okay to the Ronin of strength, she soon turned to her last patient.

"Okay, Wufei. You're up."

Wufei, who was standing on the edge of the group, grunted. "I already told you, I don't need it."

"Yeah right." she asserted, beginning to move toward him. She was well aware of her partner's stubbornness, as well as his refusal to show weakness of any kind. But if she could get Kale to cooperate, then he should too.

"The sooner this is done, the sooner you can fight again." She narrowed her eyes. "No sense in showing weakness during battle, right?"

Wufei turned and glared hard at her, knowing that she was pressing his buttons, but in a way where he couldn't refuse. And she was right. The armors would eventually heal them all, but the quicker she patched them up, the sooner they would be ready for the next fight. And Wufei had fought the hardest in this one, so if anyone needed the attention, it was him.

"Fine." he relented, dispersing his armor and subarmor. "Just don't take too long."

With a smile of victory, Sally opened her case and went to work. As she went about that, the others kept guard in case Nanashi launches a surprise attack against them. But none came, which was unnerving in itself. A fact that Ryo whispered to himself.

"Something is wrong…"

"What was that, Ryo?" Mia asked from nearby.

"Huh?" Ryo blinked and turned to her, after which he gave her a light wave. "Oh nothing. Just a little too quiet, that's all."

He didn't want to worry Mia more than necessary. It was enough in the early days when she would occasionally get caught between their fights with the Dynasty (a habit she broke off as time went by), but now that she would be a participant in these same battles, it was could be a little much. But that's when Dorothy spoke in.

"Yes, it is. That's why he suspects a trap, isn't that right, Ryo?"

Ryo frowned and simply turned away back to the scene, but Dorothy moved up beside him.

"Don't fret. We already knew that much when we came here. It's the first step of avoiding a trap."

Ryo gave her a curious glance. "And that is?"

"Knowing that one is waiting."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As the team continued to patch up their wounds, from a distance away, two figures were in watch of them. The two women warriors of Nanashi's force and among the most deadly of opponents.

_Shiva and Phoenix…_

"So they defeated Moulouch." Shiva spoke to her armored compatriot. "That is hardly a surprise."

Phoenix nodded in agreement, but then replied. "But their rate of strength has grown since the last battle. I doubt they will be as easy to defeat as before."

"Do you doubt Nanashi's power?"

Phoenix turned, seeing the cool glance of Shiva's unmasked face and smiled. "Hardly." She looked back down on the team. "But we must be realistic about our enemies' battle potential, so that no mistakes are made when we do confront them."

'_We.'_ Though she was with Shiva, she was thinking of Arctic when she said that word. In the last battle, Arctic and Shiva teamed up against the team, but with the appearance of the Armor of Inferno, they were in desperate trouble and it was only by Reflections' interference that they were able to escape at all. The next time, they would be prepared for it.

She and Arctic…

It wasn't as if she doubted Shiva's abilities. Her victories against the Ronins/Celestials showed that she is more than capable of handling them. But she felt more assured if it had been her and Arctic. She knew the deep strength and determination he possessed and as long as she backed him up, he would see more of it. Once he masters his powers fully, she believed that he would be unstoppable. Neither Ronin, nor Celestial would best him. She believed that to be a truth.

Faith… 

The symbol of Seii -_Faith_- flashed on her forehead and Phoenix lifted a hand up, seemingly in pain. Shiva gave her another look over.

"Something wrong?"

Phoenix lowered her hand, the symbol now gone, leaving only the question of what happened in her mind. But she didn't know the answer. Right now, it would have to wait for another time. Dismissing it, she turned away.

"We're done here. Let's report back to Master Nanashi."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the small garden cottage beneath Nanashi's towering citadel, Mariemaia sat in deep thought. After her visit to Nanashi himself, she felt great dread of the dark lord. But in that time, she had felt something else. She didn't know what it was, but it wasn't fear.

"_Eventually, fighting will flare up from the Earth, or the colonies. Would it not be best to be ruled over someone…who can tame such destructive power?"_

'_Was that it?'_ She was afraid of Nanashi, but there was something there. Something that…she couldn't describe. Could this had been her father had spoken about? The power of Nanashi to control fear and hatred? If it was, then what her father had been saying…may have been true.

Was Nanashi the true answer for all mankind?

Mariemaia sighed. There were times when she wished she didn't have to think like an adult. Her viewpoint was different, but they were still mature. She was far too young to be in such situations. But it could not be helped. That was the way she was raised; Derka grooming of her to be the new ruler of the Earth put her in a position where she would have to be knowledgeable of various facts about people and history. But that was simply Derka's way of using her lineage as a way for him to rule with her as a figurehead. Now she was faced with something different, something new…and yet familiar.

That didn't stop the feeling of dread…

With another sigh, Mariemaia went and lay down on the bed situated in the room. She didn't want to think anymore. She just wanted to rest; to be rid of all this worry and contemplation. Just to simply be a little girl.

'Miss Une…Where are you?' Shhhhhhmmmmmmm… 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shhhhhhmmmmmmm… 

'_Huh?'_

Yuli blinked as he noticed the Jewel of Life glimmering briefly on his chest. And not only that, but a sensation of worry and a bit of fear passed through him as well. _'What was that? …Mariemaia…?'_

"Okay, I'm finished here." Sally announced much to Wufei's chagrin. Yuli dismissed the sensation and went along with the group as they went on to continue their journey. Due to Dorothy's and Ryo conversation, the team was once again on edge. They hadn't been attacked since their rest, meaning that Nanashi was obviously waiting for them. But there was nothing else to do, but forge ahead and counter whatever designs the dark lord had waiting for them. They soon reached a deep forest area and stopped.

"This just stinks of a setup." Rowen said lightly.

"Yeah." Sage agreed. "But it's too long to go around it."

"There's no choice then, but to go in." Trowa finished, striding in ahead of them.

Cautiously, the team entered in, with the Ronins and the Celestials surrounding the others in a protective circle, a difficult feat due to all to the trees in their path. But they didn't have to trudge through long, for they all stopped once again, sensing the evil presence that was with them now

"We have company."

From behind one of the thick trees emerged a new figure. Dark armored, with crimson splashes and stripes all over and holding a sickle in its hand, the creature introduced itself in a shadowy whispered voice.

"I am Xerkha, the Sentinel of Fear. By Lord Nanashi's word, you will fall."

Ryo was ready to move forward and confront the newest opponent, but stopped himself short, remembering the battle plan for him not to fight. So in restraint, he turned to the rest of the team.

"So, who's going this time?"

"I will." Dais answered, stepping through the others. "This will suit me just fine."

Sekmet came alongside him. "Me too. It has been some time since I've tasted battle."

"I'll fight as well." Sage added, moving with the first two.

"Might as well." Duo shrugged, moving with the rest. Hilde was about to announce that she would fight too, but there was already a set number. As much as she wanted to help Duo, she would have to hang back on this one. Xerkha simply watched in silence as the four moved up to him in confrontation.

"_**Tao Nin!"**_

"_**Tao Ko!"**_

"_**Armor of Halo! Tao Chi!"**_

"_**Armor of Hellfire! Tao Jitsu!"**_

The four armors swirled around their bears and came to form in petals. Now fully armed, the four warriors set their weapons, ready to fight. But the newest Sentinel seemed unimpressed by their acts.

"You were able to best Moulouch, but that was a simple task. Now you will deal with me and I promise you… "

Suddenly, the Sentinel began to fade away into the trees and soon disappeared altogether. The four looked in shock and suddenly a glimmer of light came forth from out of nowhere; the blade of the sickle razing across Sage's armor.

"Guah!"

"…You won't see it coming. Heheheh…"


	38. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 36

-

"Guah!"

Sage backed away, grasping his chest from the slicing attack of Xerkha, who was now invisible and lurking around in the woodland somewhere. The other three continued to search around; trying to find a way to spot their opponent, but it was futile. Xerkha had chosen a prime battlefield. Not only was he unseen, but the forest around them would cover his track after an attack, confusing his opponents while he stuck at them back and forth.

Slsh! 

Another strike, this time catching Sekmet in the back and nearly flooring him. A growl came from the Warlord of venom and he whirled back in counterattack, but hit nothing. The next attack snagged Dais in the arm and was followed by a fourth to Duo in the leg. Duo groaned as he ent down to the floor, still looking in vain to find their invisible opponent.

"I expected a bit more form you all. Perhaps your victory over Moulouch was an accident."

Duo grimaced as he struggled to lift himself up. "Why don't you show yourself and find out." But Duo knew that wouldn't happen. As the pilot of the Deathscythe, he knew all about the advantages of stealth combat and was well aware of the edge their foe had here. _'There has to be some way…'_

_Slash!_

Another attack, hitting Sage once again. The ronin stumbled forward a bit and swung out, hitting nothing. Xerkha then attacked him again, hitting his arm and again in the shoulder. Sekmet leaped toward Sage and swung over his head, but nothing was hit until afterward when the sickle blade flew through the air and sliced across Sekmet's side.

On the sidelines, the others looked on as the team was being disassembled. Judging from what they've seen of the invisible Sentinel, he was obviously agile and fast. But there was more to his attacks than they realized and Quatre soon pointed that out.

"He's targeting Sage."

A few heads turned to him, but Kale soon agreed. "Yes. This Sentinel knows about Halo's ability to detect him. He's trying to take that advantage away."

True enough, upon looking at the battle, they saw that even though they all were attacked by Xerkha, it was Sage who was bearing the lion's share of damage. And also, despite this, Sage's eyes constantly moved about, seeming to focus in on specific areas and forming a defense. The problem was that Xerkha always moved before he could counter, keeping him off balance. Another slashing attack floored Sage, who managed to roll on one knee, but only briefly as he stumbled back down. Xerkha rushed in to finish him, but stopped himself when Duo jumped in between him and Sage.

"I may not see you, but we do know who you're after. So if you want him, you'll have to go through us."

Following suit, Dais and Sekmet surrounded Sage protectively. Now Xerkha would have no chance to strike at Sage without going through them first. As the invisible Sentinel realized this, he soon chuckled aloud.

So, you think the three of you can stop me?" A whoosh of leaves caused them to turn their heads. "Answer me this then. "How long can you protect your comrade after you've fallen to the ground!"

A blade of light curved out of nowhere, heading straight for Sekmet. But Sekmet had managed to deflect the blow and swing back, missing Xerkha again, but by a very close margin. Xerkha soon realized that he had a bigger problem on his hands. Not only were they protecting their one great advantage, they were creating another by forming a circle defense, protecting themselves from rear attacks.

But both Xerkha and Duo knew that it was only a temporary solution. Unless one of them can land a critical hit, Xerkha can continue to punish the defenders until they all fell and then he could go after his target. Their only hope lied in that Sage heals quickly enough to be able to use his ronin powers to fight against Xerkha before Xerkha dwindled their forces down to nothing.

'_Backed in a corner'_ Duo thought with disdain. _'Just like the old days.'_

- - - - - - - - - -

**KRAPOW!**

A Dynasty soldier was smashed to the ground as Zechs went through his training. Finding it frustrating in training in his powers alone, he wanted to work on increasing his physical strength as well, much to the dismay of the Dynasty soldiers he was practicing on. A good pile of them were already circled all around him and one would think that he would have tired out by now. But he didn't. He wouldn't. Not until he was strong enough to win.

Strong enough to beat Reflections…

Strong enough to _destroy_ Reflections…

In the last battle, he had almost defeated his rival, only to be stopped by Blackblaze and the Inferno armor's attack. Not only that, but he had been weakened enough for Heero to make a finishing blow. Only the revelation of Lady Shiva had halted his attack.

Shiva…Relena…

In truth, that was merely a word to him. Sure he knew they were kin, but that meant little, if nothing to him now. They were servants of Nanashi, warriors under the service of the dark lord. And they were to carry out his wishes, which at this time, were the destruction of his enemies. So that is what he will do, starting with Reflections. And this time, no armored tiger, no wayward attacks, not even the ungodly power of the Inferno Armor, would stop him from finishing the job. Leveling his blade, his cold eyes glared at the next set of Dynasty soldiers, all armed to fight.

"Nothing but lifeless dolls… But you'll have to do."

SHRAAACCCKKKKKKK!

- - - - - - - - - -

Duo, Sekmet, and Dais continued to surround the weakened Sage as Xerkha watched on from somewhere in the trees. A frontal attack was now out of the question. He could risk one of them making impact with him and turning the tide of the fight. But then, he couldn't let Sage recover in order to have a way to beat him. His attack would have to be immediate and decisive.

'Heh, yes…' 

The team continued to stand together, waiting for the Sentinel's next attack. Suddenly, a rustle of leaves was heard and Sekmet looked to see tee leaves flying away from before him. Readying his blades, he made ready to attack. But Xerkha suddenly rolled on the ground past Sekmet, but not before putting his arm out to the side, razing his sickle across both of Sekmet's legs.

"Rah!"

Sekmet fell down to the ground and as Duo turned to see and help, Dais growled in pain and fell to, with Xerkha doing the same thing to his legs. With the two of them down, Duo made ready for him to be next, but a hand clasped his shoulder.

"Sage!"

Sage said nothing, but lifted his no-datchi and swung it downward painfully, just catching the flying sickle that was coming at Duo. Xerkha growled, but Duo followed up on Sage's block and smashed the butt end of his scythe on the invisible warrior. A thump was heard and soon Xerkha cam into form.

"Now I've got you!"

Duo charged at the fallen Sentinel and attacked with a flaming slash. But Xerkha had disappeared again and Duo only would up slicing the tree, causing it to smash down to the earth.

"Hahahaha! Did you really think it would be that easy, Hellfire?"

Duo growled as he searched around vainly. He could be anywhere and they wouldn't know it. There had to be some way of seeing him. The sizzling of Duo's attack on the tree caught his attention for a moment. _'Wait. These armors all have unique abilities. That's way he keeps attacking Sage. Maybe mine can do the same.'_ Lowering his scythe, Duo focused not on the fight, but on the armor itself, hoping to use something of its fiery power to help them over come. As he did, he began to see everything blurring out before him. He blinked a few times, but it remained. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing.

'_Heat waves.'_

Looking back at the tree again, he saw the heat from the attack fading away. Inspiration hit the Celestial and he called out to Sage.

"I've got a plan. Get down."

Sage blinked, but immediately ducked down fearing an attack. But Xerkha hadn't even moved. Looking back at the Celestial, he was wondering what he was up to. But Duo's intent became clear as he began to spin his scythe around, creating heat waves all around. The onlookers too, backed away and down as Duo summoned his most powerful technique.

"_**Armor of Hellfire! Demon's Gate!"**_

He unleashed the torrent of fire everywhere, scorching the trees and littering the ground with flame. Sage rose up afterward, trying to figure out why Duo would waste his power like that. But that was until Duo shouted and leaped upward, with his scythe reared back.

"I see you now!"

His scythe suddenly clashed aloud and soon, Xerkha once again reappeared. Sage soon understood what Duo had done. By taking away the Sentinel's advantage, Duo had made it easier to fight him. But what Sage didn't know yet was that there was more to it than that. The armor of Hellfire was able to detect heat, making it plainly visible in his eyes. Not only that, but he was able to see the absence of heat as well.

The same absence given off by Xerkha, a Dynasty warrior of darkness…

Xerkha crashed down to the floor, but rolled up to his feet. He would have tried disappearing, but he knew it was a wasted effort now. Still…

"Clever of you to use your armor to spot me like that. But you've wasted too much of your power, Celestial You're helpless."

Duo looked on at him and then grinned. "Not from where I'm standing, pal."

Before Xerkha could realize what he meant, Duo jumped back and away. At the same time, Dais, who had recovered, had removed his Chin-Lin-Tao from his back and lashed out with it in his greatest attack.

"_**Web of Deception!"**_

The spidery blades shot out everywhere, hitting the burning trees and floor. As son as they impacted, white lines of webbing sprouted out from them, entangling the Sentinel and rendering him immobile.

"Grah!"

"Now to finish this." a revived Sekmet declared as he raised a single blade and began to whirl it around. As he did, the other swords on his back began to connect with it, glowing in a deadly red-orange. Soon, all the swords were connected in one whip-like weapon, the symbol of Sekmet's finishing technique.

"_**Snake Fang Strike!"**_

He lashed the swords-whip at Xerkha and the point hit dead on, resulting in an explosion on toxic energy that evaporated the surrounding area. Both tree and fire flew away in a flash as Xerkha roared aloud.

"No! This can not be! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Sentinel soon vaporized in the blast, leaving behind a devastated and still burning area. The four warriors began to sigh in relief, but that stopped when they saw the fire still raging the woods. The others looked around in worry and were readying to get out of there, but Duo lifted his scythe to the side and the fire soon began to calm down and disappear altogether.

"No sense in leaving the stove on, now that that guy is already cooked."

Another joke. A few of them gave relieved sighs while others remained neutral. As Sally moved in to check on the warriors, Kayura stayed in the back, examining Duo and seeing that he gained a greater control of his powers than before.

And this gave her a renewed sense of hope…

- - - - - -

A distance away, three shadowy figures had watched as the second Sentinel was vanquished before the Ronin and Celestial Warriors. They were Kearac, Tareis and Baltra; the three remaining Sentinels.

"We should strike them now, while they are weak." Tareis hissed, annoyed that the team was fighting their way through the Sentinels.

"Are you to defy the order of Nanashi?" Baltra noted, glaring at his compatriot with evil eyes.

"No. I just…"

But Baltra cut him off without pause. "We will continue to face them in this manner. Just make sure you do not fail."

Kearac, who had been standing in silence, spoke lowly. "We will deal with them, Baltra."

The two soon disappeared, leaving Baltra to himself. He didn't like the way things were going for his warriors. Defeating Moulouch was one thing, as he relied solely on brute force and excessive speed, a powerful combination, but can easily be countered. But Xerkha was a more crafty and skilled fighter. At the least, he should have killed two, if not three of them. Yet they all still remained alive. Not only that, but it seemed that they were increasing in strength as well.

"Just make sure you don't fail Baltra."

Baltra didn't turn as an armored figure silently made its way up behind him. He already knew who the speaker was by the voice alone. Treize Khusrenada… The Celestial of the Storms…

"None have ever gotten past me and that will not change." Baltra replied back. In addition to his reply, he lifted his fist slightly, revealing a massive sword.

"Make sure of that, otherwise…the Celestials and the Ronins will be the least of your worries."


	39. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 37

-

The dark forest was disturbed once again by the moving of the Celestials and the Ronins. Sally Po had finished patching up the warriors injured in the last battle and luckily Duo's armor had healed him long before she even got to him, making her job easier. Sage, being in the worse shape, was being helped recover by sitting on the back of Whiteblaze as his armor continued to heal him. The team finally emerged from the forest to behold Nanashi's citadel just before their eyes. It wasn't far now.

"Man, the closer we get, the creepier it looks." Duo muttered.

"Tell me about it." Ryo agreed. "But there's no turning back now."

They continued on, approaching a wide open area. There wasn't a thing in sight for distances around and that many things all the more unsettling for them. So far, they managed to get through Nanashi's Sentinels, but they knew it would only get harder from here on in.

"Stop."

This came from Heero and at that, everyone stopped in their tracks and looked around. There was still nothing in sign, but the warriors could feel…something.

"What is it?" Mia questioned.

No sooner was that said did a thick fog suddenly rise up all around them. The team of warriors grouped together in readiness.

"Can't you tell?" Dorothy replied, half-smiling. "The next Dynasty warrior has come to greet us."

Kayura turned to the warriors. "Who will go this time?"

"I'll go." Rowen stepped out in front of the group. "I haven't fought yet."

Hilde soon moved up beside him. "Neither have I, so I'm in too."

Quatre and Cye finished the grouping. "We're with you as well."

Kayura nodded and then cautioned them. "Take care of yourselves. Each battle has shown a stronger warrior than the last, so be careful."

"Will do." Hilde replied with a thumbs-up.

The four warriors soon strode ahead of the team, awaiting the appearance of the next foe. The fog began to part somewhat and in the middle was the dark figure they had sensed. Long flowing robes lay beneath black armor and were accompanied by equally long pale hair.

"So we meet face to face at last, Ronins and Celestials. And it will be the last." The figure lifted his arm and a short jagged sword was produced. "You defeated two of our comrades. Your lives will not exist beyond this moment now! I, Kearac, the Sentinel of Fear, will make sure of that."

The only reply the warriors gave was the summoning of their armor.

"Armor of Strata! Tao Inochi!" "Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!" "Armor of Torrent! Tao Shin!" "Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!" 

Once the armors came into full form, the battle began immediately. Kearac charged at them through the fog with a loud battle cry and his sword at his side. The group leaped away, avoiding the deadly slash as it ripped the floor apart. While airborne, Rowen twirled around and set up his first arrow. Targeting the Sentinel, he let it fly. But Kearac swiftly wheeled around and smacked the projectile away. Rowen blinked in surprise, but quickly rearmed his bow and fired several more, let loose eleven arrows before he even touched the ground. But Kearac had deflected all of them with ease.

"I hope you have more than that, Ronin."

Hilde and Cye both rushed at him, coming up from opposite sides of Rowen as they made their attack. Hilde's katanas flew in overhead while the yari of Cye swept upward from below. The attack, though from separate directions, was stopped, for with a twist of his blade, the Sentinel blocked them both at once!

"Pathetic!"

Rearing back slightly, he suddenly pressed forward hard, hurling the both of them away with great force. As they flew through the air, Quatre dove in from between them and swung his nunchuku down. Kearac blocked the first and second blows and as Quatre landed on the floor, Kearac kicked him back. Quatre rolled backward in recovered as Kearac came in for the attack. Connecting the nunchuku into billy clubs, Quatre was able to cross them in front of himself just as the attack stuck. The force smashed Quatre down to the ground and forced the Celestial of fall to one knee.

"You're no match for me."

But Kearac had neglected to notice Rowen, who was once again arming his arrows to strike. The arrows soared to their targets, but the whistling of the projectiles alerted Kearac, who had to jump aside to dodge them this time. And that proved to be his error, for Cye was there in wait when he began to descend.

"Yahhh!"

Kearac blocked the yari from hitting him, but the force was enough to disorient him and drive him back. Hilde came in from the side underneath him, her katanas ready to slice the armored warrior. But suddenly, an unseen force hit her from the fog hard and caused her to be knocked to the ground.

"Ahhh!"

"Hilde!"

Duo took a step forward, but stopped upon sensing the pain of his injuries. He was too weak from his earlier fight to help her now as his armor had yet to finish healing him. And even if he was at full strength, he couldn't interfere. Hilde had long worried that she might be more of a burden that an aid to the team so this was necessary for her. This was her fight now.

The others halted in their attack and gathered near Hilde as she strove to get up. Whatever it was that hit her, it was incredibly hard and unexpected.

"Hilde, are you all right?" Cye asked as he stood before her to prevent any other attack.

"Yeah." she groaned as she rose up. "I didn't see that one coming."

"Few ever do."

The new voice came from within the fog. As the group turned to the source, they saw another Dynasty warrior, dressed exactly the same as the first one. The only difference was that this warrior had dark red hair as opposed to Kearac's pale hair. Also, this warrior held a long pointed staff, with small spikes sticking out from near the center. But the similarities were more than evident enough.

"Looks like my brother caught you off guard." Kearac crackled.

Quatre blinked. "Brother?"

"Tareis." the second one introduced himself. "The Sentinel of Suffering."

Kearac lifted his blade and Tareis did likewise. The team grouped up closer as the twin warriors made ready to attack once more.

"And now, the game really begins!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Preventor HQ 'How does she deal with this?' 

After the attack on the HQ and the departure of Lady Une, the Preventors have been having an even rougher time than normal. As the presiding director looked over the list of reports that came in, he could only think of how they would be able to deal with these new incidents. Dealing with terrorists and so-called revolutionaries was one thing. But now there was something new to deal with.

'_1, 184 colonists gone from several different colonies.'_

And that wasn't the worse of it. This was just one of many reports that had been coming in to their doorstep. At first, it was minor, with only a dozen people vanishing. But now, the number had escalated and the colony authorities had to call upon the Preventors to investigate. But the agents who did had simply vanished as well, with no trace whatsoever. As the reports continued to come in, the Preventors were forced to try to keep this fact secret from the people of the Earth. After the coup de ta of Mariemaia, people on the Earth Sphere were still working to recover. But with the reports of vanishing citizens, this could very quickly turn into a world wide panic.

A fire that will come slowly, but become deadly instantly…

Growling, the director placed the reports down, knowing that he would only frustrate himself more by looking. Action was needed, but what. Their resources were already being stretched to the limit, with no sign of progress in sight. The president had contacted him several times, ordering him to find the solution, but nothing could be done to solve these abductions. With a sigh, the director forced his mind to clear, seeking some angle that he hadn't thought of yet. Something about this seemed familiar to him, something from after the wars. An incident had occurred in Tokyo where the entire populace had vanished and all electrical devices were rendered useless.

'_It's a long shot, but I've got nothing else.'_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nether Realm 

**WHAM!**

Rowen was slammed back by Kearac who waved his sword in beckon, taunting the others to come at him. It had turned into a downhill battle as the two Sentinels battered the team in a style unique to them. The twins have been fighting as a single unit, almost as if they were one person. Whenever one would seem to falter, the second one jumps in to take his place while the first disappears into the fog. Because of this, not only have they been keeping themselves fresh for battle, but their differing styles of combat have been throwing the team off on how to fight them. And they are unable to fight them both at the same time because the fog was thick enough to get lost in. It stood to reason that entering in would be a sure-fire trap one they couldn't afford to trigger. But their current situation wasn't as hopeful.

"This is crazy." Hilde spat as she was knocked backward by a swift attack from Tareis. "It's like fighting shadows."

Rolling to her feet, she and Cye charged together at Tareis, who swept his staff low to force them to jump and then quickly jabbed up at Cye, hitting his shoulder. Rowen leaped high and shot a swarm of arrows, but the Sentinel simply twirled his staff to deflect them. At that point, Hilde had landed on the ground and attacked again while Rowen landed beside Quatre, who seemed to be staring at the scene.

"Maybe that's the edge that we need." the azure haired Ronin said as Hilde managed to shove Tareis back with her katana, only to be hit on the side by Kearac and floored. "All we need to do is force them to act in a way in which we would expect it."

"Exactly." Quatre said in agreement, seeing what Rowen was suggesting. "I'll lead off with the others and you follow up."

Rowen armed his bow once again and nodded. "Got ya covered, Quatre."

Quatre quickly advanced on Kearac as he was about to finish off Hilde and tossed one of his clubs at him, intercepting the stabbing blow he was about to make and diverting it to the ground. Kearac backed away and Quatre moved in with Cye. Hilde moaned in pain and was slower to getting up this time.

"Hilde. Perhaps you should hang back a bit." Quatre suggested, but Hilde instantly replied back.

"No way. I can do this. Just give me a minute to catch my breath."

True to form, the woman Celestial managed to bring herself upright and take a defensive stance. She had asked to be in this fight after all and there was no way she was going to go down, now or ever.

"These two are really difficult." Cye spoke, returning their attention back to their foes. "When one falls, the second jumps in and takes over."

Quatre nodded. "We'll have to take it slow. Charging in isn't working."

The three warriors began to spread out slightly, keeping Kearac centered in their sights. The Sentinel tilted his head amusedly.

"What's the matter? Losing a new sensation for you?"

Quatre began to move forward fast, as if taking the bait. Kearac was ready for his soon-to-be-wasted attack when Quatre suddenly stopped and skipped off to the side. Kearac was in surprise about this and it was just as Rowen had leaped high and fired a swarm of arrows at him. Because of the surprise, Kearac was forced to dodge instead of deflect and this left him open to Cye and Hilde's combined attack.

"Yaaaaahhhhh!"

But it was at that time that the fog materialized beside them and Tareis emerged in counterattack. Cye quickly reacted by lifting his yari to defend while Hilde continued her attack on Kearac. But Kearac parried her blow and forced Hilde back while Tareis moved in with a low sweeping blow, catching both warriors at the same time. Kearac then saw Quatre charge at him and both he and Tareis recognized it as the same tactic he had used earlier.

"Fools. That won't work a second time."

The twin warriors waited for Quatre to skip off to the side just like before. And just like before, he did. But there was no Rowen behind him. The two looked at this in confusion and upon looking, they saw that Rowen was nowhere to be seen.

"The fog! He's in the fog!"

"Rowen, go for it!"

The Sentinels had just realized their folly as well as the warrior's trap; that they had both come out of the fog at the same time, allowing the armored warriors to get them in a position to attack both of them without worry of a surprise attack from them. Since they were fixated on Quatre, they didn't see Rowen entering the fog and circling around them until finally, he had them in position. And true enough, the Ronin of the Skies sprang out of the misty clouds, arrow set to fire. But this particular arrow was accumulating the full power of the armor of Strata.

"_Armor of Strata! **Arrow Shock Wave!**"_

Rowen released the arrow in a blast of light and energy and it swooped straight at the two. The other warrior quickly ducked off to the side as the attack flew and the attack stuck with tremendous force, sending dirt and rock flying and blowing the fog surrounding them away. The light soon died and the team arose to see the result.

"Grahhhh!"

The team stopped as they heard the low growling coming from within the smoke. A single figure arose from within and the team watched as an seemingly wounded Tareis staggered before them.

"You…who vanquished my brother…will now…SUFFER!"

Tareis lifted his arms to the dust around him and at once the team prepared for an attack. However, Tareis did no such thing as the dust and fog began to swirl around him wildly, blinding the team somewhat and Tareis began to lift into the air. As the team watched, the dust began to cling to the Sentinel's body and cause it to glow. Kearac's dust… The whirling began violent for a moment and Tareis suddenly exploded in a black light. The team of warrior covered their eyes and soon reopened them, only to face a new creature in the place where Tareis once was, slowly descending to the ground. He still bore the same robes, but they were designed with purple marks and the armor was now bladed, giving his a fearsome appearance. He was holding a staff, but unlike the one Tareis had, this staff had blades on both ends, with the blades being the same shape and design as Kearac's weapons.

"No longer am I the ones known as Tareis or Kearac. I am the Sentinel who will bring to you all pain and suffering beyond your deepest nightmares." The warrior twirled his weapon and slashed out, knocking the four of them to the ground in a rush of wind and power.

"I am Trakata, your dark harbinger."


	40. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 38

-

The team of four struggled up to their feet as they faced their newest threat; Trakata, a combination of the two Sentinels they had been fighting previously. The dark warrior brought back his weapon back to his side after having knocked the team down with a blast of air. Though not enough to harm them seriously, this did show that this new creature was more powerful than the pair they fought before.

"This could be a problem."

"Come now, warriors." Trakata taunted. "Show me your power." His gleaming eyes narrowed. "And I will show you futility."

"I don't think we have a choice other than to charge him." Hilde said, keeping her voice low so that the only the others could hear her.

"Hilde may be right." Cye agreed. "With that much power, we can't afford to stand here and wait for him to come to us."

"Maybe if we attack at different points, we can surprise him." Quatre suggested.

Rowen frowned grimly. "It's a long shot, but it's all we have now."

"On three…"

"One…two…THREE!"

At the call, the four warriors charged at Trakata, springing off in different directions, yet coming at him at the same time. But Trakata made no effort to move and simply stood in place as the warriors quickly closed in on him.

"Futile…"

Twirling his lance, Trakata waved it out once again and in a rush, he caught both Cye and Quatre, hurling them back with great force. Then in a flash, he brought the weapon back with even greater force, snagging Rowen out of the air and knocking him into Hilde.

"Gaaaahhhhh!"

"That was pathetic." the Sentinel mocked.

"Yahhhh!"

But Hilde managed to roll out from under Rowen and charge back again. Trakata was slightly surprised to see her coming back at him after his being hit. Apparently, the Celestial still had some power left in her. _'No matter…'_ Hilde's katanas clashed with Trakata's staff and she tried to force the Sentinel back. But her efforts were wasted as she soon saw Trakata was only holding her back…with one arm!

"You have spirit, girl. Breaking it will be most enjoyable."

**BAM!**

Another sweeping blow sent Hilde skyward to where she seemed to be floating in the air. Trakata's staff then began to glow with dark energy as she began to descend.

"Hilde!" Duo cried from the sidelines.

Trakata sent out another blast, but instead of wind, a blade of energy flared out, heading straight for the airborne woman. But before it hit, another figure intercepted it and took the blast himself.

_Quatre…_

"GAAAHHHHHHH!"

The body of the Celestial of the Sands plopped down to the ground with Hilde falling just behind him. Hilde moans as she tries to rise up again, but Quatre doesn't move at all. Rowen moved next to Quatre and shook him.

"Quatre! Quatre!"

A stifled groan was all that was heard, but it was enough to tell Rowen that he was still alive. Looking back up, he saw the Sentinel slowly making his way toward them. This wasn't good at all. Quatre was out and Hilde was hurt badly. Being down to half strength isn't the best situation to be in.

_Especially with this guy as your opponent…_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_L3 colony_

"Alright. Tighten it up right there and we'll be finished."

"Got it, Boss!"

The cloth of the tent pulled tight marked the completion of the repairs to the circus tent. After Noin's arrival and Trowa's departure, the performers went about repairing the tents and equipment from the fires. On the opposite end of the tent, Katherine went about feeding the animals. During the fire, they had been riled up badly. If not for the quick efforts of the performers and if the fighting had escalated, there would have been a full on stampede to deal with. Settling near the lion cage to feed the hungry beast, Katherine's thoughts immediately drifted to her brother.

"Trowa…"

Though not the first time (and probably not the last time) that Trowa had left them, Katherine away felt worry whenever he left. For every time he did, it was in order to fight. The last time, during Mariemaia's coup de ta, Katherine had hoped that it was finally over, that he would have to fight anymore. But there seemed to be another battle and Trowa needed to be there. With a sigh, she finished pouring the lion's meal and backed away.

"You always seem to be disappearing on us."

She began to try to put her worries to rest. Trowa was a big boy after all. More than that, he was a former Gundam pilot, which meant that if anything, it would be his opposition that needs to worry. And every time he left, he always came back. Even when he lost his memory, he still somehow managed to make his way back there. With a silent nod to herself, she moved away, going to continue with her chores.

"Hey, do you see that?"

Katherine blinked and turned to the voice, another performer, who was looking off in the distance. Others were with him as well and Katherine turned to the source of their attention. A thick fog was rapidly swooping in around the surrounding buildings and it soon covered the tent as well. Katherine backed away, feeling a chill of fear creep up within her.

And that when the soldiers began to appear. _Dynasty soldiers…_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rowen continued to stare down at Trakata, who was slowly, but steadily making his way toward him. Behind him, Quatre lay unconscious and Hilde was struggling to get back on her feet, reaching only up to one knee. Cye soon moved up beside them, but they both knew the situation they were in was grim. Not only were they one person down and another badly weakened, but they have yet to find any weaknesses in Trakata. Every move they tried was repelled with excessive force. So that only left them to go on the defensive and create a counter-attack powerful enough to take him out.

"Hilde, are you still able to fight?" Rowen asked softly, turning an eye toward her.

The Celestial of Crystal gave a low moan and then forced herself back up on both feet. "Yeah. No problem."

"Good, because I have a plan. We'll have to wait for him to come at us and then counter. It's not going to be easy, but there's nothing else. But it has to be big, understand?"

Hilde nodded. "Gotcha."

Turning to his fellow Ronin… "Cye, you and Hilde will have to counter together. Together, you two should be strong enough to waste this guy."

"What about you, Rowen?"

"Don't worry about me." He turned to gaze at the still approaching Sentinel. "I know what I have to do. Just get yourselves ready, okay?"

"Okay."

"Are you done talking amongst yourselves?" Trakata taunted as he made his slow approach. "Now the nightmare can continue…and end!"

As the battle went on, the others watched in despair at the plight of their friend. Ryo especially wanted to jump in and help them, but he knew that he had to stay out of it. This was their fight and he had to trust in their ability to pull through this. But that didn't stop him from wanting to go, as the symbol of Jin –Virtue (Righteousness) – flittered upon his forehead. But he wasn't the only one. From behind, Mia was watching the battle with the same hope that they would manage to get out of this mess when _it_ happened. She almost didn't catch it at first, but it came in smooth and clear. She felt her body beginning to react to it as it hummed lightly in her ears and mind.

The song of the Starlight Sword… 

On the battlefield, Cye, Hilde and Rowen were getting ready for their counter-attack against Trakata, who was still moving slowly toward them. Cye looked at Rowen with a bit of worry, wondering just what the Ronin was planning on doing. _'Please, Rowen, be careful.'_

"Here he comes!"

In a flash, Trakata sped right at them and then leapt into the air. His hands were both gripped on his lance in a two-handed hold, doubling the power of the strike. As he neared, Hilde and Cye both hopped back to avoid the attack, but Rowen remained right in place.

"Rowen, what are you doing!" Cye shouted as he saw this.

But Rowen only answer was a loud battle cry as he soared toward the Sentinel with his bow leading the path. Trakata lashed out with his lance blade and a flash of light and power resulted from it. Rowen was knocked clear away, his body tossed into the air until crashing onto the ground. Cye soon realized that Rowen used himself for bait to allow them the opportunity they needed.

"Hilde, we have to do it now!"

Hilde gave a single nod and at once the two warriors began to gather their collective powers and elements.

"_Armor of Crystal! **Arctic Flame!**"_

"_Armor of Torrent! **Super Wave Smasher!**"_

The combination of ice and water flew at Trakata at high speed, flash freezing the area instantly and encasing the Sentinel in ice while he was bombarded by water shot, all of which also turned into hailstones for higher damage. On the eve of the attack, the frozen water and ice shattered in an explosion of white light, causing everyone to shiver from the pure blast of ice and water.

"I think we got him." Hilde spoke after catching her breath. But she was unaware of the dark form that had materialized right behind her.

"Think again."

Hilde didn't even get a chance to turn around as Trakata slammed his weapon right into her back, sending her sprawling on the ground.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

"Hilde!" Cye cried.

The Sentinel turned his head toward the Ronin of the Waters. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about you!"

**BLAM!**

A backward slash caught Cye squarely in the chest, knocking him backwards and onto the ground as well. As Trakata turned around, the others looked on in horror at what he had done. Quatre was still immobile and Rowen was in the same state. Hilde was struggling to rise once again, but her strength was completely sapped and she fell down again. Cye was still conscious, but unable to move due to the forcefulness of Trakata's attack. The Sentinel whirled his lance up high and began to gather his dark energy once more.

"I think I've had enough of this. Time for you all to die."

The other Ronins and Celestials were in shock at all of this and wanted to jump in to help, but many of them were still recovering from their previous fight, so they were unable to fight. Even if they were, they most surely would not be at full power and would only get beaten anyway. The only exceptions to this were Heero, Kayura and Ryo, with the latter trembling in an urge to fight. Kayura though, felt a strange sensation and then turned to Mia, who seemed to be struggling with…something.

"Mia?" Mia didn't answer and Kayura gaze lowered to the Starlight Sword, which was trembling in Mia's hand. Nodding in understanding, Kayura spoke again.

"Follow the song."

As soon as she said that, Mia stopped struggling and leapt into the air. Ryo was shaken out of his panic as she did and she landed right in front of the Sentinel, who paused in his attack on the fallen warriors.

"What's this? Another to share in their suffering and pain?"

Mia's only reply was to settle in a fighting stance, with the Starlight Sword held in level to her body and pointing at Trakata.

"As you wish, girl!"


	41. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 39

-

"Mia!"

Ryo was in complete shock when Mia leapt onto the battlefield to confront the Sentinel, Trakata. He began to move in, but the Staff of the Ancients blocks his path.

"This has to happen, Wildfire." Kayura calmly stated, while keeping her eyes on the field. "She must learn to use the sword fully if we are to stand a chance."

Ryo didn't necessarily agree with her, but he held his place for the moment. Seeing this, Kayura lowered the staff. Mia would have to fight sooner or later, so now would be as good as time a any for her to gain some combat experience. From what she knew of Relena, she had no combat experience before finding her sword and being transformed into Shiva. So if Mia could best this Sentinel, she would be at least able to use it just as well as Shiva does.

On the battlefield, Mia held her place against the Sentinel. Behind her lay the bodies of her fallen friends, who had all fallen to this dark creature's might. Cye, Quatre, Rowen, and Hilde were all unconscious and prone to attack from Trakata. This meant that their only salvation now rested in the woman that stood before them. The Starlight Sword lifted slightly in Mia's grip as she prepared herself.

'Follow…the song…' 

In a flash, Mia charged at the Sentinel, who held his position as before. _'Same path of futility…'_ And since she did not bear any armor, she would be struck down once and that would end it. Lance firmly gripped, Trakata slashed out upon her approach…

…only to hit dead air. The Sentinel's eyes widened at this. _'How could she be that fast?'_ At that moment, Mia had dashed off to the side, touching the ground and charging at his side. Trakata caught this and with a whirl of his lance, he stuck out. At that range, Mia was unable to dodge, but she was able to whirl the weapon down and block the attack. Amazingly, the force of the blow didn't send her flying, but she remained firmly in place. Trakata regarded this.

'She has speed…and strength?' 

Mia twisted the blade, forcing it downward and pushing the lance with it. With another leap, she flew right in the Sentinel's face and slashed out full force. Trakata was unable to defend and he took the blow straight to the head, which also sent him to the ground. The group gasped in amazement at this.

"Wow, she's really kicking butt out there." Duo remarked.

Kento whistled in agreement. "No joke."

This did little to allay the fears of Ryo, but he had to admit, she was doing pretty good out there. It still stunned him that Mia was actually fighting along with them. Since their first meeting, he had always worked to protect her and Yuli from the Dynasty. Even after she stayed away from the battles, he would worry that she might be in trouble while they were away and he wouldn't be able to save her in time. But now it's a different story. Now she was powerful enough to fend for herself.

But that won't stop him from protecting her…

As the fight progressed, Mia continued her assault on Trakata, countering him on every level it seemed and dishing out more damage on the Sentinel. Yet the dark creature was far from done and Mia had come into a good amount of close calls. A second slower on her part or faster on Trakata's and she would be doomed. Her hope right now was to finish him off as soon as possible.

If that was possible…

Trakata recovered after another blow from Mia that had forced him backward. This was infuriating the Sentinel. He had exhausted many of his attacks and had still not come close to bringing the woman down. Her speed, agility and unusual strength were beginning to wear him down. Prolonged combat would be an error; he had to take her down now. Looking around briefly, he found his chance.

'Sometimes a little treachery helps…' 

Mia meanwhile stood in place, preparing to anticipate the next attack. The battle was more weary on her than could be seen. She had to focus solely on the song of the sword, which was become increasingly difficult as the battle progressed. Since she wasn't trained as a warrior, the Starlight Sword was readily sapping at her strength. The last time she had fought, she had passed out from exhaustion. But the fight would go on as long as necessary, which for her, meant that when Trakata was defeated. All she had to do was keep focusing on the song the sword was playing in her mind.

"You are a great fighter indeed." Trakata admitted. "This will be a great battle. But I think we should clear the field so that things will run smoothly, don't you think?"

Mia's eyes narrowed, but soon widened with horror as she learned what he meant. As as this realization came to her, Trakata lifted up his lance and looked over to the nearest of the fallen warriors.

And his eyes fell upon Rowen…

"I'll clear the trash."

Energy crackled in the lance as Trakata made ready to strike down the defenseless Ronin. But Mia soon charged at him, hurrying to save Rowen. But Trakata expected this. No, he planned on it. With a roar, the Sentinel sliced down on Rowen as Mia came within range. But in the end, he twisted his wrist and lunged forward, causing the blow to swing away from Rowen and right at Mia. Mia saw this too late and if not for her speed, she would have but unable to block the attack. But it was a powerful blow and Mia was hurled across the field by its force.

"Ahh!"

"Mia!"

The onlookers watch in dread as the battle suddenly instantly sides again, with Trakata on the winning side. Heero saw this grimly and mentally shook his head. He knew that was a blatant trick from the Sentinel and Mia had fallen right for it. If she would fall for something like that, then how would she face an opponent like Shiva and win. As it seems, she may not even make it through this battle.

"Hm. I take it back." Trakata replied as he whirled his lance around casually. "You're not a great fighter."

Mia struggled to rise, but the blow had more of an impact on her than she thought. Her body felt shaken and unsteady. If not for the sword's guidance, she would have been cut in half. 'It…protected me.' But that seemed to be a moot fact as Trakata stood over her, victory in reach as he lifted his lance for the kill. From the side, Ryo continued to struggle in anger so much that his kanji symbol of Jin –Virtue- literally burned on his forehead. Kayura felt this and began to turn to him to calm him down when he suddenly leapt up into the air.

"Ryo, no!"

"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!" 

In a flash of light, the armor of Wildfire came to form and encased Ryo while he was still in the air. Ryo had leapt right in front of Trakata, placing himself in front of Mia to guard her and causing the Sentinel to pause in his attack.

"What's this?"

"If you want her…" Reaching back, he gripped his twin katanas and brought them forward. "…You'll have to go through me first."

"Gladly."

Trakata resumed his attack, slamming his lance down hard on the Ronin. Ryo brought his sword up in a cross to block them, only to nearly be forced down to his knees. Grunting, Ryo pushed up, propelling himself into the air and over Trakata. Landing behind him, Ryo twirled around and slashed out on the Sentinel's back. But Trakata was already turning around and the swords met with the lance again and Trakata followed up with a swift kick.

"Guah!"

Ryo slid across the ground, but managed to flip upright. And just in time, for Trakata had leapt in the air and was posing to stab his lance down in or to impale Ryo, but as it turned out, he only hit the ground, but with enough force to cause Ryo to hop back. But it wasn't far enough as Trakata pulled his lance out of the ground for a sweeping attack, catching Ryo right in the head. Ryo spiraled, but somehow managed to catch himself before falling and jump away again at the Sentinel's charging lunge. Trakata wheeled on him and Ryo crossed his swords in a defensive stance.

"Hey. Why hasn't Ryo called up the Inferno armor?" Kento questioned as the battle went on.

"Because everyone else is still weak from the previous battles." Kayura answered. "If he did, that would create a greater strain on you."

Kento blinked in realization as did the others who had overhead her. Usually, the others would give up their powers to create the Inferno armor, but before that time, the armor came up by simply taking their powers. But in doing so, the remaining warriors were hurt and badly weakened by it. Given their condition, they were unable to give their powers to Ryo. Even if the Warlord provided their powers, that would leave them with a very minimal defense. And they couldn't take such a chance in the Nether Realm.

"He's not going to make it much longer at that pace." Wufei noted quietly.

True enough, Ryo was near to being hammered. Only his constant retreats prevent him from being totally beaten. Trakata soon noticed this and stopped attacking.

"Ah. Protecting your friends by drawing me away? Clever, Wildfire, but futile. Once I'm done with you, I'll crush your puny comrades like worms."

Panting, Ryo looked up at him and then gave a slight grin. "That's not the only reason."

Ryo suddenly lunged at Trakata, somewhat surprising him, but it was by no means unexpected. Trakata whirled his lance briefly and stabbed it forward at the Ronin. But Ryo's charge was a feint and he had jumped high into the air over and around Trakata. With his friends now behind him, Ryo connected his blades together and called on the full power of Wildfire.

"_Armor of Wildfire! **Flare Up…!**_"

"Ryo, don't."

The fiery Ronin blinked in surprise as he recognized the voice of Mia, who was now standing upright with the Starlight Sword firmly in her grip. Ceasing his attack, Ryo landed beside her as Trakata turned to face the two of them.

"Mia, what is it?"

The young woman strode up beside him and answered. "You need to save your strength for Nanashi."

"But…"

"Don't worry about me." In a show of confidence, she whirled the blade between her fingers. "I can handle it now."

Ryo gave her a concerned glance. "Mia…Are you sure?"

Taking a step forward, Mia nodded. "Yes. But…thank you for coming to my rescue."

"Are the dramatics over?" Trakata growled. "You speak as if any of you have a chance. Even if by some miracle you get past me, Baltra, the master Sentinel, will crush you all." He raised his lance to the two. "And as it so happens, you have yet to match my power."

Ryo frowned and began to lift his blades up, but a hand motion from Mia reminded him of her request and he reluctantly sheathed his swords. Mia continued to gaze at the Sentinel, as he whirled him lance in preparation of the continued fight. But Mia was not worried. She was more grateful of Ryo's appearance than she mentioned. Not only had Ryo taken Trakata away from the other to make sure he doesn't pull the same trick, but she was given enough time to rest and recover a good portion of her strength. As she began to advance on Trakata, one thing was certain.

The Sentinel had already lost. He just didn't know it yet.

Trakata narrowed his crimson eyes and suddenly dashed at Mia, an unusual move for him. Mia continued her steady advance while he rushed at her. Trakata continued on, but it wasn't Mia that was his target; it was Ryo. He planned on rushing at her in a feint and then attacking Ryo. She would see this and come to help him where his real attack would finish her off. And once she was out of the way, he would be free to finish off Ryo and the others. But he hadn't continued on one thing.

That she already knew this in advance…

As his feint was made, Mia did nothing and simply stood still as he switched directions. But when he did, he left his side exposed and Mia swiftly slashed up into his side. The Sentinel didn't expect such a quick action and his side attack was halted. Growling, he glared hard at Mia, who slowly turned around to face him. Rage dominated his being and with a roar, he stabbed out at her. But again, his lance hit dead air as Mia took to the skies, lifting the Starlight Sword high above her head as her mind followed the song.

"_**Star Sword Shock! Feel the power of the heavens!"**_

A single star lit up in the sky above Mia and in a flash, a bolt of energy flashed down on Trakata, engulfing him in a massive surge of power that tore up him and the grounds around him. Ryo backed away from the energy surged as Trakata slowly began to vaporize within.

"I WILL…NOT…LET THIS…GUUUUUUAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The surge finally abated and Mia landed on the ground safely. With Trakata gone, the Starlight Sword ceased in its song, which in turn caused Mia to pass out and fall to the ground. As Ryo went over to check on her, the others on the side went to aid their other comrades who had been hurt in this fight. As Sally checked them, see saw that they were alright, although they would take a much longer time to heal. _'I guess I should be glad that they are all still alive after all of that.'_

Yet, that remained to be seen, for a good distance away, far from the battlefield, a single figure had watched the entire fight with great interest. With a low chuckle, she raised her blade up to her shoulder and looked on upon Mia, the one who held her blade's counterpart.

Lady Shiva…formerly Relena Dorlian…

"Well now." she spoke as her blade sung to her lightly. "This will be more enjoyable than I hoped. Heheh…"


	42. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 40

-

"Hold still. I think you might have a broken rib or two."

"Gh!"

Most of the team had revived from the battle with Trakata and was in the same place where they had fought. Sally Po was currently treating Rowen, who had taken a major blow from the Sentinel. Finishing wrapping his ribs, she nodded to herself.

"That should hold until your armor finishes the job. But it would be best if you rode on Whiteblaze along with Quatre."

Nodding at her suggestion, the both looked over at Quatre, who was already on Whiteblaze's back and nearly his entire upper body covered in bandage wraps. The blow he took from Trakata after defending Hilde had broken four ribs and left him with a few burns and cuts. Even breathing was difficult on him as pain lined his boyish features. Regardless, Quatre made the effort to shuffle as Rowen climbs on board the white tiger. Whiteblaze gave a low growl and returned his attention to the surrounding area, just in case there was a surprise attack. Nearby, Hilde was seated on a rock, her face downcast.

"Hey, that's not a face you should have."

Hilde didn't look up, but knew the speaker all to well. Duo had moved around the stone and sat beside her.

"Cheer up." Duo gave her one of his usual smirks. "You're still alive, as is everyone else."

"Only because of Mia." she replied dejectedly. "If she hadn't, I'd…we'd…"

A sigh escaped the braided youth's lips. "You shouldn't be concerned with 'what if's' and stuff like that. You're here now. That's all that matters."

"I just wish I was stronger."

"Hey. Who's the one always saying not to give up, huh?" His smirk returned. "I seem to recall that was you, am I right?"

This time, Hilde was unable to continue feeling sorry and her face broke out into a small smile. She was never one to be able to not smile at Duo, whether it was his antics or his encouragement. He always brought a smile to her face. Lifting her head up, she nodded to him gratefully.

"Yeah… Thanks Duo, really."

"Any time, babe."

Opposite of the pair, Mia's eyes were just opening and she awoke fully to see Ryo's head just over her. Rising up, she held her head in an effort to fight off the grogginess and weariness she felt.

"How do you feel?"

"A little disoriented, but fine." Looking to the side, she saw the Starlight Sword still in her grasp. Apparently, even after she passed out, she had never let go of the weapon. It seemed that it really was attached to her, like it was another part of her body.

"I guess I won, huh."

"Are you kidding?" Yuli smiled as he approached her. "That was awesome what you did, Mia. That Dynasty freak didn't stand a chance against you."

Kayura soon came over beside her as well. "Yuli is right. You handled yourself superbly out there and have shown that you are truly beginning to tap into the power of the sword. It will take some time to master, but I am confident that you will do so."

Mia took in Kayura's words and lifted the sword up to her eyes. The gleam of the sword never faded and its sparkle continued to enhance its beauty. "I just hope it's enough."

"Don't sweat it, Mia." Kento waved off from nearby. "We'll back you up if anything goes wrong. Trust me. That Shiva chick is going down."

"Hey, watch it." Sally said sternly. "That's Miss Relena we're talking about here."

"Hey I didn't mean it like that…"

As Kento worked to explain himself, Heero continued to stare off in the distance. Thoughts of Relena fluttered through his mind. On the one hand, there was the pacifist woman who did everything she could in her bid for peace. A woman that would never harm another if she could help it and would die rather than cause others suffering though battle and war.

"_Why is their always confrontation? ...In order to eliminate boundaries and become one peaceful, solidified nation, OZ…must be the first to discard all of its weapons. The Earth must look to co-exist with outer space and outer space must look to co-exist with the Earth."_

On the other hand, there was Lady Shiva, a cold, ruthless warrior who sought out their complete destruction. A creature that delighted in their suffering and who was driven to cause more of it. All at the orders of a dark master who wanted them destroyed.

"_Disappointing. I had hoped for a bit more of a fight from the Ronins and Celestials. This won't be any fun if I kill you without any effort."_

Judging from the way things were going, the situation would be that by the time they reached Nanashi's castle, they would be at half-strength at best. Even if everyone revived fully, few of them would be at full strength. A dangerous situation when challenging Nanashi and his three Celestials, not to mention Re…Lady Shiva. He growled inwardly. He had to stop thinking of her as Relena and more as an enemy. Or perhaps, he could do both. That way, he could at least renew a promise made to Relena long ago.

"_But why…?"_

"_I'll kill you."_

"In any event, it will be quite a show when they meet up." Dorothy spoke, breaking into Heero's thoughts. She looked over at Mia and smiled. "I can only imagine which one of you will truly win, seeing as how the winner will obtain both swords."

Mia blinked in this realization. If she is to battle against Shiva and win, she would possess both Starlight Swords. But if she was to lose, then…then Shiva will be more powerful than ever. Neither she, nor the Ronins have forgotten how powerful Lady Kayura was when she was under Talpa's control and had both swords. With the exception of the armor of Inferno, none of them were able to best her. If Shiva wins, then that very threat would come back.

"I never thought about that."

"Don't sweat it." Ryo spoke. "You'll come through, just like you always do."

Mia gave him a warm smile and nodded, as did everyone else. However, Lady Une was gazing over at Dorothy without smile. Something didn't feel right and it was emanating from Dorothy. Ever since Dorothy's return, Lady Une had felt…strangeness about her. She wasn't acting unusual or anything, but she was giving off some very weird vibes, at least to Une. Dorothy has never been completely straight about her motives, but they were clear once things got going. But now…she didn't know. Maybe it was this place.

However, Lady Une wasn't alone in this. Quatre too had been sensing some strangeness coming from Dorothy. Her comments and attitude to things, they just seemed a bit…implied. And he couldn't see the same kindness that she had possessed. It was deep within her, but Quatre could always see it. At least, until now… Now there was a void of some kind, something out of place.

'_Dorothy ….What is wrong…with you soul?'_

"At any rate, we better get moving." Kale spoke suddenly. "Staying here too long is dangerous."

"Agreed." Trowa replied. "But we'll have to take it slow for those still recovering."

"It will be more troublesome, but we don't have a choice." Dais warned.

With this in mind, the team rose up and continued on their journey. The fog created by the previous Sentinels began to lift and the citadel slowly came into view. By the time the fog had fully cleared away, they were beginning to stare up at the dark fortress. Surrounding it was a line of jagged-edged stone, all towering just over their head and appearing very treacherous.

"It just doesn't stop getting creepier." Duo remarked.

"We can't climb over." Rowen examined. "How do we get in?"

"I think that's the gate over there." Sally said, directing their attention to the sole doorway that was stationed between the stone towers. Moving toward it, the gate began to loom over them. But suddenly, the gate opened with a bright light and soon, a solitary figure was seen. It was a greatly armored and sitting down, cross-legged, with its back toward them. That was only brief as the creature began to rise up.

"I am Baltra, Master Sentinel of Destruction. And as keeper of the citadel gate…" Rising to full feet, the warrior turned around, revealing a massive saber in his hand.

"NONE MAY PASS!"

The team tensed, not only because of the size of this Sentinel, but also by the power it was literally sending out through its body. It was strong, just like the others. However, there was more to him than that. A dread aura seemed to surround him, making him even more fearsome and showing this was a power not to take lightly at all.

"I think this guy might be a bit out of our league." Cye gasped as the shock of the aura

"I've never felt such darkness." Sage whispered. "It's truly terrible."

Sekmet snorted and began to move. "Well, it's time to get to work."

"No. I will go this time."

Sekmet stopped as Kayura held a hand out to him and then began to walk in front of the others, showing that she would fight in this battle.

"Lady Kayura?"

"As it stands, all of you need to recover to full power." she reasoned. "And since I have not fought yet, I have a better chance of stopping this creature."

"She's right." Une replied. "It's best that the rest of you recover as quickly as possible before engaging in another fight."

"Well, you're not going to do it alone."

Blinking, Kayura turned to see Ryo moving up beside her. "Wildfire…"

"Don't worry." he said before she could speak her doubts. "The last fight didn't take too much out of me, so I'm still fresh." Turning his head back, he gazed in the direction of the Celestial of Reflections. "How about it, Heero? Coming?"

Heero said nothing in return, but he did move up to where they had gathered. Looking upon the Sentinel waiting for them, he silently muttered.

"Mission accepted."

The three warriors strode up to Baltra and he simply watched them come until they stopped only a few feet away. The Sentinel only took a single step forward and spoke.

"You have done well to make it this far. I acknowledge that. But know that you will go no further than this."

"_Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"_

"_Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!"_

"_Tao Chu!"_

The three warriors armored up into full battle gear, ready to confront the final and deadliest Sentinel. Baltra narrowed his eyes, examining each of them in a quick scan. He knew that out of the Ronins, Celestials and Warlords; these were the strongest of them. And it was just as fitting, for he was the master of the Sentinels. _'So the strongest face the strongest'_ he considered. _'Just as it should be.'_ His sword high in the air, he cried aloud

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"


	43. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap.

-

The three warriors stood before the great Sentinel as he leveled his massive sword to the side and awaited their move. This was quite different from the other Sentinels prior to him as they all attacked first. But there was no reason for Baltra to advance. His primary duty was to defend the gate, so he didn't need to attack. The battle will happen. He just had to wait for it to come to him.

"Yahhhh!"

To no surprise, Ryo was the one that attacked first, leading off in front with Kayura and Heero moving in from behind. Baltra was half impressed and half disappointed by Wildfire's recklessness and simply opted to show him the price of such an act.

"Krah!"

With a mighty swing, Baltra swung his sword out across, hitting all three warriors in a titantic wind sheer. And because Ryo was the closest, he would feel more than the wind. He would feel the blade itself and that should take him out of the fight

Should…

But Ryo wasn't completely caught off guard by that and as the sword came, Ryo rotated one of his katana downward, allowing him to defend. Although it was a weak defense and he was still hurled by the power, the katana had lessened the damage he would take.

But he would still take damage.

"Ahhh!"

Ryo was knocked back and sent right into the dirt, with the other two managing to recover barely from the attack. Heero glanced at Baltra and considered the battle strength of the Sentinel. If he or they had been closer, he could have taken them all out in one slice. He couldn't allow a mistake like that to happen again. Looking over a Ryo briefly, he saw the price of such a failure.

And Heero will not fail in this mission…

Reversing the swords in his hands, Heero rushed off ahead, but not toward Baltra. Rather, he began to circle him, looking for an opening that he could use. Baltra's size meant that he had more open spots to attack. But the Sentinel didn't move from his position at the gate, giving him no open areas to attack. So he had to try another tactic. He rushed toward the wall of the gate and scrambled across, dashing along the wall itself. Baltra saw this and turned to meet the incoming attack as Heero dove off high into the air and struck.

Clang! 

Baltra swung out with the same force, but because Heero had reversed the swords, it caused him to toward in the air and stab down with his second blade. A tactic that would have worked, except Baltra brought his sword back and used the hilt to block the stab. This was followed by a swatting action, smacking Heero in the air and away. But his attack wasn't totally in vain. It had allowed Kayura to move in close and attack right after Heero's second attack.

"Ha!"

But the staff suddenly impacted with a dark field of energy, preventing the attack from getting through. Kayura blinked in surprise as Baltra turned his attention to her and jabbed back with the butt of his weapon. Kayura backflipped out of harm's way and readied herself to attack again. But then Baltra's sword crackled with energy and he swung back with greater force than before. The energy wave smashed into the ground before her and Kayura was blasted back into the air.

"Kayura!"

But before she smashed into the ground, a pair of arms grabbed her out of the air and landed down with her. As Kayura revived, she looked up at her savior.

"Wildfire."

Ryo nodded as she settled back on her feet and joined back up with Heero, who was also reviving as well. In that short exchange, it became obvious that their attacks were nothing more than wasted efforts. Baltra had countered them at every pass and they were unable to get so much as a nick through. He truly was Nanashi's Master Sentinel.

And that was turning out to be a really big problem…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As ordered, I have sent Phoenix and Arctic on their mission. They will return soon with a new legion of souls along with the materials for your ultimate resurrection.

"And the child? How have you progressed with her?"

"It has gone slowly." the dark Celestial answered. "She is somewhat stubborn, but the seeds of doubt are prevalent in her mind."

Nanashi however, didn't sound too pleased. "The Ronins and the Celestials have managed to get through most of the Sentinels. Only Baltra stands against them now. Time it would seem, is not a luxury you have." The dark lord then paused, narrowing his gaze on his servant before speaking again.

"What do you think shall be done with the girl then?"

Trieze hesitantly looked up in question. "Master?"

"Should I use my influence on her so that she joins our ranks more quickly?"

Trieze was quiet for a second, a fact Nanashi noticed. But he soon replied. "To do so would negate the weapon you wish to use against the Celestials and the Ronins." When Nanashi didn't reply, Trieze continued. " Master, if I may suggest, she must be put in a position to make no other choice but to side with us."

There was silence once again, but this time, it ended with a pleased response from Nanashi. "You know my thoughts well, Cyclone. Carry them out accordingly. If Baltra fails, it will be up to you and the others to bring my victory. Do not fail me."

"You wish is my will, Master."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Okay, this guy is tough. Anyone got any ideas?"

The trio stood together in collection as they continued to face Baltra, who made no move to attack and simply stood before the gate to Nanashi's citadel. The team were battered in their previous attempts and now had to hold off in order to strategize.

"He's using his force to keep us away from himself and the gate." Kayura noted, seeing his motionless stance. "We have to pull him away from there first."

Ryo blinked. "You want him to come after us?"

Defense was his weapon at this point. As long as he remained stationed in front of the gate, he would simply wait for them to attack and counter back. Somehow, they had to get him on the offensive and attempt to counter him. But who knew if that was any better than this?

"Understood."

Before the two could react, Heero propelled himself right at the Sentinel. This was an unusual move for the Celestial, but to Baltra, it made no difference. He would defeat him all the same. Rearing his arm back, Baltra made ready to slash out once more. Heero took to the sky and Baltra simply watched him, waiting for him to come within range in order for him to strike. But he was soon surprise when Heero suddenly hurled both his katanas at him, causing Baltra to deflect them in defense. Because of that, Heero was able to get in close and land behind him. Whirling around, Heero wasted no time in unsheathing his second pair of blades and letting them cut through the air. But the blades hit the same barrier of energy and his attack was halted. Baltra began to turn on the Heero when he caught sight of the other two coming in, all the while Heero was posing for another attack. With attacks coming in from both ends, Baltra grabbed his sword with both hands and swung around mightily, creating a literal vortex of force that hurled all of them away.

Or at least most of them…

While it managed to take down Heero and Ryo, Kayura was able to dodge it, being more agile than the two and she brought the staff in to bear in a striking attack. But again, the field of energy deflected it and Kayura was forced back. Fortunately, Baltra had already attacked so she had no fear of a counter-strike. But they were still unable to harm the Sentinel in any way, nor get him to move from his position.

"Though early in the fight, even you must see that you can not match my power. Now leave my sight or be destroyed!"

Kayura frowned in response, but even she knew that there was some truth in that. His power strikes kept them completely immobilized and he possessed a defensive shield of some kind that stopped their attacks. If there was a way to beat him, she didn't see how. At least not at the moment. But as she tried to contemplate on what to do, footsteps were heard behind her and the Celestial of Reflections walked on past, his face blank as he re-approached the Sentinel.

You are a bold one, Reflections." Baltra raised his sword high. "And that will be your undoing!"

Heero suddenly broke out into a dash and Baltra swung downward. Heero nimbly dodged off to the side and jumped up in Baltra's face, swinging his leg in for a kick. But the field was once again there and Baltra began to pull back his blade in a return attack. But from behind, Ryo came in with a slashing attack and even though it was still deflected, it enraged Baltra, for he had not seen the young Ronin coming.

"Impudent imp!"

Slashing out wide, he attacked the fiery ronin, but Ryo was able to jump over it, even though he was still caught in the backlash. Nevertheless, Ryo was relatively unharmed and level his sword toward the Sentinel.

"Looks like I caught you off-guard there."

Baltra snarled at his mocking words. "You just don't get it, do you? You can not win. You can not defeat me!"

His sword aflare with energy once again, Baltra raised his sword high and in a flash swung it down, unleashing a torrential blast of energy that barreled down upon Ryo. Ryo crossed his sword in defense, but was well aware that he would be hit hard this time.

At least until Heero stepped in front of him…

"Heero! No!"

But Heero ignored him, for this was the moment he was waiting for. Focusing on the energy mass spiraling at him, he circled his katanas and summoned the power of his armor.

"Mirrored Edge!" 

The instant the energy came, it slammed and hit the shining shield created by Heero. Heero grimaced as he held back against the energy and with a cry, he forced it back toward Baltra. Baltra was astonished by this and had no choice by to leap away, allowing the energy to pass on by underneath. But at the same time, Kayura took to the air as well and struck out with the staff. The blow impacted the shield still, but its force was enough to knock Baltra back onto the ground. Now away from the gate, the three warriors surrounded the Sentinel.

"None have ever forced me to move from my post." Baltra grumbled lowly. "You shall pay the price for your foolishness. And you will do it…in blood!" His dark eyes now alight, he turned toward the Celestial who had caused him to move.

"Reflections! You will be the first to pay that price!"

In a blur of motion, Baltra whirled backward, spinning in a full 360 airward and bringing the sword straight down on Heero, full speed.

"No way!"

In a rush, Ryo quickly charged at Baltra just before he swung. Seeing the large blade coming in, Ryo positioned himself between it and Heero and crossed his blades. The resulting clang was loud and the force painful enough to lower Ryo to his knees, but the Ronin had managed to catch and hold Baltra's sword in place, locking it. Heero simply stood there partly surprised. Baltra on the other hand, grew more wrathful.

"Ronin filth!"

Reacting, Heero rushed past Ryo and toward Baltra once again. His sword now positioned to stab, Heero jabbed them forth. But the shield protecting Baltra deflected that as well and Baltra pushed Ryo away in order to attack Heero.

"Fools! All of you!"

The sword flew out again, ready to cut Heero in two. But again, interference came in the form of Kayura. She had leaped up toward Heero and pulled him aside in mid-air, just enough for his body to avoid the attack, At the same time, Ryo rolled in recovery on the ground and leapt up as well. Connecting his katanas together, he summon forth his power

"_**Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up Now!"**_

The fire wave slammed down on Baltra, engulfing him in it power. A gigantic explosion erupted forth in the aftermath, blowing dust and debris everywhere. The three warriors landed on the ground, with Ryo now exhausted. More so than Heero as he had used his attack not too long ago against Trakata. But at the very least, he didn't have to use the Inferno armor to beat this guy.

Unfortunately, the Sentinel was far from beaten…

In an instant, a wave of wind blew out from within the dust, revealing Baltra completely unharmed. Or at least, almost. The dark aura that was around him seemed to flicker on and off until it faded altogether.

"I see. Only such attacks have any chance of harming him. So…it would seem…"

Kayaura looked down at the staff. Despite it being her signature weapon and tool, it was not the weapon of the armor and thus not capable on unleashing its power. Closing her eyes, Kayura whispered to herself.

"Anubis, give me your strength."

With a snap, she flung the staff into the air. The staff shimmered and flickered in light until it disappeared in a flash. What replaced it was a short staff-like weapon with a short scythe blade on the end. Trailing behind it was a long chain that ended with a forked weight.

The Kusari-Gama…

Leaping up into the air, Kayura grabbed the weapon, twirling it around as she landed back on the ground. Meanwhile, Ryo descended from his attack and landed across from Baltra. Finally Heero walked out from the remained of the dust and smoke and leveled his weapons at Baltra. All three of them had the Sentinel surrounded once again.

"Hmph. I've underestimated you three." Baltra regarded. "Forcing me out of my post and disrupting my shield… you fools are far too dangerous."

As the Sentinel spoke, black storm clouds came in above them and in moment, a lightning storm erupted above. But it was more than a simple freak storm. It was dark energy; pure dark energy. And it was coming from Baltra. The lightning struck his sword, causing it to crackle with power. The three warriors tensed as they were now about to face Baltra's true power.

"So now… I will end it here!"

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Colony X1201

A relatively new colony, X1201 was created some time ago along with X11. Due to its distance from the Earth, it wasn't taken over by Mariemaia's forces during her attempted coup and thus it was considered the colony of true peace, for no conflicts had ever occurred upon it and the people within knew nothing but peace.

But today, that will change…

Within the colony, as people went about their day-to-day affairs, many noticed the dark shroud of cloud and fog that settled on them in quite quickly. Fewer people saw the two armored figures that hovered over them. But everyone saw the other armored figures on the ground with them as the materialized out of nowhere.

And then the screams ended the colony of peace…


	44. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 42

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The three warriors were in awe as Baltra stood before them, summoning great power in the form of a storm. Lightning crackled around everywhere, with many of the bolts striking his raised sword and causing it to glow with ominous energy.

"**Come to me, oblivion! Show them your might!"**

They didn't even see him strike down, for his attack came as fast as the lightning that flashed about. Baltra slammed his sword down to the ground, causing it to explode in a tremendous geyser of sheer power. The three was all tossed and hurled about in the onslaught of energy. Even the remaining ones looking on where halfway knocked back by the destructive force.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The energy dissipated soon enough, but the damage that had been done was evident. The ground was shattered, leaving various faults and cracks everywhere, save for the walls and the gate of Nanashi's fortress. A distance away, the group of watcher shook the dust away as they recovered from the blast.

"What the heck?" was all Duo could say in astonishment.

The others too were shocked by the power of the Master Sentinel. Rowen looked over across the battlefield to see him still positioned where he was and holding his sword, which was still crackling with energy.

"What kind of monster is he?"

"Where's Heero?" Sally asked as she looked on as well. "And Ryo and Kayura?

Her question was soon answered as the dust cleared. Kayura was seen a good distance away, struggling to rise up from the ground. She was the furthest from the blast, so she wasn't hurt too badly. Nearby, Ryo took rose up, with various burns on his fiery armor. But he wasn't the closest either.

It was Heero…

"Heero!"

"Hmm…"

Ryo blinked as he turned to see Heero already standing. His body and armor was scorched the worse, yet he should no visible signs of injury or pain for that matter. It was as though he simply accepted the attack and now that it was over, he could continue on as if nothing had happened.

"Duo is right about you." Ryo smiled in relief. "You are something else."

Heero didn't answer though and simply continued to stare at Baltra. Kayura joined up with the two, examining their opponent. The attack he unleashed was awesome and she knew there was more to come of that in the continued fight. But in this, there was a weakness. Before, he was defensive and thus hard to overcome. But now that he would take the offensive, they could catch an opening easier. Provided of course, that such an opening come up before the Sentinel blasted them into dust. Again, there was a way for that to be achieved, but it would not be easy.

"I want you two to wait here and rest for a while."

"What do you mean?" Ryo questioned with surprise. This guy had just delivered a blow that could have put Talpa's powers to shame. And Kayura wanted them to rest? With the Sentinel there, he knew he wouldn't just sit there and let them recover.

"You both have already spent a great deal of energy in this fight." The warrior priestess explained. "There is however, a chance to defeat him, but for it to work, you two must combine your powers as you did before."

"I don't need to rest." Heero said simply.

"Perhaps. But to use your powers consecutively will strain your bodies and sap your strength greatly. If it doesn't work, then you won't be helpless at least. At any rate, it is the only plan that has a chance for success."

Ryo shook his head. "But then you'll be up against him by yourself."

"Only for five minutes. That's how much time required for you two to use your powers once again." Her glaze hardened. "After five minutes, give it everything you've got."

Ryo simply stared at her in shock. Not only did this guy have great power, but now Kayura wanted to face him alone in the hopes that they gather the power to beat him? But what other options were there? Their friends were still weak, so calling for the armor of Inferno was out. Doing so could solve this problem, but leave them open for a mess of new ones. Being this close to Nanashi's citadel, that was a chance they couldn't take.

"…Hmph."

Heero simply lowered his sword briefly and then sheathed them away. He had already decided that this was in fact the best course of action and would wait it out. It worse comes to worse, he would fight Baltra alone if the need arose. Ryo followed suit and sheathed his own blades.

"Okay, Kayura. Just be careful."

Kayura gave the young Ronin a brief nod before slowly striding up to Baltra. Baltra glared at the approaching warrioress who suddenly broke out into run right at him and then charged as well with a booming roar. The two were soon to collide before Baltra grabbed his sword with both hands and swung with torrential force. Kayura jumped over the swing and past Baltra, and then whirled around in midair to strike with the kusari-gama blade. But Baltra was quick to turn toward her and he blocked the hooked blade with the flat of his own and followed up with a heavy shove that pushed Kayura out of the air and onto the floor. His opponent floored, Baltra whirled his blade above him and struck down, bringing another wave of titanic energy with it. But Kayura had turned her crash landing into a roll and was able to backflip away from the strike, which decimated the ground where it hit. Whirling the chain, Kayura sent the weight of the weapon flying and the blow hit, smacking Baltra right in the face.

"Yeah!" Yuli cheered.

But Baltra suddenly grabbed the chain and yanked on it, unexpectedly pulling Kayura with it back toward him. Then with a solid fist, he struck out and punched Kayura dead on and sending her flying back toward the ground again, but this time she didn't roll and slid into one of the bigger crevices made by Baltra's first attack, only grabbing the edge at the last second.

"Kayura!"

Ryo began to reach for his blades and enter the battle when his hands were stopped by Heero. Ryo looked at him incredulously.

"Heero, what are you doing?"

"It's not time yet." the former gundam pilot replied shortly. "One more minute.

"But Heero, she's in trouble." Ryo argued. "We have to help her."

Heero's voice remained even and stoic. "We have to follow her plan. One more minute."

Ryo frowned in turn, but slowly released his hold on his katanas. Heero was right after all. They still needed a minute more of rest. And Kayura was arguably the strongest of them all; Ronin, Warlord, and Celestial alike. She could hold out for another minute

Despite the visual evidence to the contrary…

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In her cottage dwelling, Mariemaia continue to look out of the entrance. She could have gone exploring rather than simply sit about, but she didn't know if that was a good idea. And this place…had a relaxing, almost drowsing effect on her. It was as though the place was designed to make her feel perfectly at rest, without even caring to go anywhere else.

She'd be surprised by how much of that was true…

A darkened shadow soon caught her attention as Trieze's form appeared in the doorway and entered in. Once again, he was wearing his classic OZ uniform and displaying his usual polite mannerisms.

"It appears that your friends are close to this place."

Her eyes widened. "They are?"

"But they will not stop until they have destroyed everything here." he continued.

"No." the girl replied, glancing over the beautiful scenery briefly. "That's not something they would do."

"But they will do it." the Celestial reaffirmed. When Mariemaia said nothing in return, he began turning back to leave. "And I will not allow them to succeed."

"You will fight them?" she whispered.

Trieze stopped in his tracks. "I am Nanashi's warrior and therefore, I must."

"Isn't there…another way?" The young girl soon found herself rising from her seat in assertion. "Maybe if I can talk to them…"

"…Perhaps." His head turned to she side toward her, a light trace of a smile on his features. "That would be pleasant though, having you by my side."

"Your…side…?"

That thought had not occurred to her until now and once it did, she felt a sensation that could only be described as…thrilling. To be by her father's side? At hearing her words, Trieze turned back to her, his gaze now soft.

"You are my daughter and I am your father. Nothing would please me more." He lent his hand out to her and beckoned. "If you will trust me."

Mariemaia looked at the hand stretched before her. Much of what she learned here was almost too much for her to understand and take in, but she did understand, mostly. Conscious-wise, she felt that she should just stay put until Une came for her. But here was her father, Trieze Khusrenada, offering for her to be at his side. Isn't that what every young girl wanted? To be with their fathers? Wasn't it…what she had always wanted since the beginning?

With a trembling hand, she began to reach up to his hand…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Baltra neared the fallen Kayura, who was clinging on to the edge of the crevice she had fallen in. reaching the edge, his sword crackled once again in anticipation, but he did not strike. Kayura looked up at him in wonder as to why.

"What are you waiting for?"

Baltra lifted his sword an inch. "I know a diversion when I see one."

The Snetinel began to turn around when suddenly, Kayura bounded out of the crevice and into the air. She wasn't as trapped as everyone thought and had only been waiting for Baltra to make his move. But since it would be against Heero and Ryo, she would have to strike. But there was one problem.

Baltra had anticipated this too…

"Kaaahhh!"

Whirling back, he smashed the handle of his sword right into her chest. Kayura gasped as she was knocked back and the crackling energy began to manifest in earnest. As she hit the ground, Batlra quickly raised his sword and slashed down, letting loose a shockwave of energy that plowed right at her.

"Kayura!"

But Kayura wasn't out yet and upon hitting the ground, she slapped her hands down, pushing her away from the oncoming force and into safety. But the Sentinel's blow to the chest had harmed her greatly and her breathing was ragged as a result.

"I know a trap when I see one as well."

Kayura forced herself to take a deep breath, despite the pain in doing so. She looked up at Baltra and then over at Heero and Ryo behind him. With a silent acknowledgement with her eyes, she gave the word for them to strike. Both unsheathed their blades, but only Ryo charged at Baltra. Baltra didn't have to turn to know that he was coming and his sword crackled with deadly energy once again.

"Reckless child…"

Like a typhoon, Baltra whirled around to strike down the Ronin. But as his sword arose high, Kayura suddenly bounded up and she dashed straight up his back and into the air. The distraction had cause Baltra's attack to veer off and away from Ryo completely. Baltra roared as he tried to go in for a quick slash, but Ryo too had jumped up into the air, his katanas connecting together.

"You will die!"

"On the contrary…"

Baltra's eyes widened as he remembered Kayura and he turned around to see her beginning to descend out of the air. The chain of the kusari-gama was whirling in a red flare as she came down on him.

"You will…!" Pulling the chain and weight back, she finally called forth the full power of her armor, the same power that Anubis wielded a long time ago.

"_**Quake With Fear!"**_

The chain was unleashed as crimson lightning, striking down and hitting Baltra dead on. The Sentinel was knocked back slightly, but the attack continued on, multiplying into several chains and hitting the ground, where it separated again and shot back up at Baltra. In a few moments, he was completely entangled in the electrifying hold of the attack

"Nrraaahhhhh!"

"Reflections! Wildfire!" Kayura ordered. "Now!"

Both warriors were already ready as Ryo called forth his armors' own power and might. _"Armor of Wildfire! **Flare Up Now!**"_

Ryo slashed down with the superfire energy, but not at Baltra. Rather, it was directed straight at Heero, who was stationed right in front of Baltra and set for his own part to play. As the superfire drew closer, Heero whirled his blades around, forming a shimmering energy around him

"Mirrored Edge!" 

Ryo's attack soon collided with the energy, pausing for a moment before it seemed to be absorbed into it. Heero grimaced slightly as he worked to control and redirected the energy. He soon succeeded redirected it right at Baltra, changing it from it fiery orange blast to a deep blue wave. With Baltra entangled in Kayura's attack, he had no defense and no way to prevent the attack combination from literally pouring over him

"GRRRRAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Kayura and Ryo landed beside Heero as the attack ended with a crack and an explosion of power, causing them to shield their eyes. Heero soon dismissed the field, his face landed with sweat as with the others, but he still showed no signs that it affect him adversely. The light of the explosion soon died and the three looked on. Though unlikely to impossible, there was a chance that Baltra could have survived. With all the strength and power he had displayed, it wouldn't be too surprising. But still, logically, against all three of their attack, he shouldn't have.

The moving shadow within seemed to defy that logic, however…

"I don't believe this."

Indeed, Baltra had survived, more or less. His armor was close to being slag and his sword was shattered and cracked, rendering it unusable and damaged beyond repair. Despite this, the Sentinel continued to rise, holding his weapon as he staggered toward them.

"No…. I will not… be bested… Never…!"

Cye and a few others watched in surprise to this. "Man, that guy is tough. How did he survive all of that?"

"Warriors' pride." Wufei answered. "He refuses to accept defeat."

Kale nodded in agreement, but replied. "But that doesn't matter. Defeat will accept him."

'_Hmh?'_

Mia suddenly blinked as her sword let out a silent chime in her mind. Her glance lowered down to the weapon as she wondered. 'What is it?' Her answer came a second later when a flash of red appeared across Baltra, causing the Sentinel to groan aloud and fall on his knees to the ground. The three in battle looked in surprise as they saw the cause.

Lady Shiva…

"Cyclone was unable to come, so he requested that I deliver his message for him."

Baltra looked at her slowly as she raised her sword in the air, summoning to power of her Starlight Sword, one that Mia was well aware of was coming. The masked warrioress simply looked upon the fallen Sentinel, almost as if she was glaring.

"_**Star Sword Shine! See the glory of the heavens!"**_

As with Kayura's attack, crimson lightning struck up from the blade and into the air at a single star. The star shone brightly before unleashing a bolt of deadly energy upon Baltra. He was unable to resist the force as he was completely vaporized by the attack.

"**NNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

As the final Sentinel became nothing but ashes, Shiva slowly turned her head to them, removing her mask in the process to reveal her true face. Those that knew her were still unnerved at seeing Relena's face that way, including Heero. Nothing had changed, save for the eyes; the cold, emotionless gaze that showed nothing of the woman before.

And it was directed at Mia…

"I'll be waiting for you inside, _Lady_ Mia. You have something I want."

Then without further talk, she smoothly guided her mask back on and entered the citadel gate, disappearing within. They all could do nothing to stop her and the truth is that they were in no position to try. They would have to wait and hope they were strong enough to succeed. Mia particularly was worried by the straightforward challenge, though it was expected that they fight. But Shiva had wanted it, meaning that she was ready for it.

The question now was, was Mia ready for it? A battle between Starlight Swords?


	45. Chapter 44

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

-

Chap. 43

-

Sally had finished checking up on the warriors and so far, their conditions were improved. Hilde and Cye had finished recovering from the previous ordeal with Trakata, while Quatre and Rowen were close to a full recovery, despite the immense soreness in their bodies. The fighters previous to them were at full strength as well. Heero showed no signs of hurt despite the pounding he received at the hands of Baltra and Ryo too took his pain in stride. Unfortunately, Sally saw the extent of their injuries and suggested they wait for some time, knowing that the two were really hurting inside. As Sally now examined Hilde, the young Celestial looked up at the towering fortress before them, where awaited their greatest threat yet

"Are you sure we should be waiting here?"

"We don't really have much choice." Cye answered from aside. "Entering the citadel now would simply be suicide."

"Besides, we have bigger things to worry about."

Yuli turned to the speaker, Dais. "What do you mean by that?"

Une decided to answer for him. "Until now, we've been fighting under the caution that Nanashi would send his minions to finish us off. But after witnessing the battles you've fought and the fact that he hasn't done so, that can only mean one thing."

"Nanashi is waiting for us." Trowa finished.

Silence settled on the group as they slowly looked toward the gate that leads in to the citadel. And they knew what waited for them on the other side too. The scorching flames of Phoenix, the torrential force of Cyclone, the unrelenting cold of Arctic, the devastation of Shiva, a whole army of Dynasty soldiers and last, but not least, the unknown darkness of Nanshi.

"Don't worry about it, guys." Kento replied, breaking the silence. "Remember, we still have the white armor of Inferno, right?"

Rowen nodded. "That's true. That has been our ace card. Nothing we've faced has been strong enough to beat that."

"Yet…"

The group turned to the next speaker; Dorothy. The girl, who was staring out at the citadel, seemed to blink as she turned to the group and chuckled lightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say that out loud?"

Dorothy moved away, leaving a few of the others baffled by her behavior. Duo shook his head. "I tell you. Sometimes that girl is a little creepy."

But only Une and Quatre felt that there was something more to what was happening to Dorothy. They didn't know what it was exactly, but it was clear to them that something was amiss with the young woman. Quatre continued to watch her move away, a sense of worry in his heart.

"Dorothy…"

Meanwhile, on another end of the team, Mia sat on a nearby boulder looking out at nowhere in particular. Shiva's last words had her a bit on edge. Even though she knew that she would face her, she didn't really consider the fact that Shiva would be waiting for her. She should have though. It only made sense that she would want the Starlight Sword she possessed.

"Worried about Shiva?"

Blinking out of her revere, Mia was surprised to hear it was Heero's voice. The Celestial moved up beside the place she was sitting and stared out as well

"Yeah, a little." she admitted. But it was really the wait alone that worried her. With Shiva waiting for her, that only meant that she must have been confident, both in her abilities and in victory. But Mia was sill trying to get a full grasp of the sword's power. What if it wasn't enough?

"Don't." Heero replied, breaking up her thoughts. "If you can't defeat her, then I will."

"Huh?"

Heero's voice remained neutral. "Shiva must the stopped by any means."

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_'Where am I? What is this place?'_

Katherine was wandering about in a strange darkened…she didn't really know what to call it. Everything seemed to be in gray and black swirls. She didn't know how she got there or where there even was. People were wandering about like her, with expressions of loss and fear in their eyes. Unfortunately for the circus performer, she was experiencing the same panic. She never felt fear like this before. It was a fear of nothingness and at the same time, a fear of everything. She couldn't stop it, couldn't force it away, couldn't even try. It was so overwhelming, so much to handle. Grasping her head, she shook it in vain disbelief as the fear began to grip her further.

_'Trowa, where are you? Please…Trowa!'_

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Trowa perked his head up as the symbol of Harmony –Kaichou- shimmered on his forehead. Something felt wrong, something out of place. More so than the realm they were in. It may have been just a feeling, but Trowa had learned that he should trust his feelings. Unfortunately, the feelings were bad and that meant the same. Glacing at the citadel, he muttered to himself.

"Will I dodge death yet again? Or is there…something else?"

At another end of the group, Wufei stood silently, arms folded and staring at the citadel. For the entire time, his mind in deep thought as he contemplated what they were to face on the other side. But his thoughts were primarily focused on one figure. A person that had the object of past torment, whom Wufei had finally move on from, only to have him seemingly return from the dead and leaving the young man wracked with the memories of their last encounter.

Trieze Khuserenada…Celestial of the Storms…

------------

_"You're only capable of looking down on people like this. You're only fighting to satisfy your ego. How many people have died for you? Well?!"_

_"Do you really want to know?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"As of yesterday... 99,822 people."_

_"What?!"_

_"Lady... How many have died today?"_

_"So far, we have received confirmation of the deaths of 82 White Fang soldiers and 105 of our own soldiers."_

_"I see… Give me their names later on today."_

_"Yes, sir. I will."_

_"Damn you!"_

_"I remember everyone who sacrificed their lives in battle." "How could I forget them? Noventa... Septem... Bente... Dorian... Walker... Otto... Bunt... Their names are all etched into my heart."_

_"How could you be such a…?"_

_"I can only grieve over the lives lost by those who fought. But…at least try to understand this. Not one of those people have died in vain. Haaaaaa!"_

_**Shhrrrrkkkkk!**_

_"That was beautiful, Wufei... "_

_"No, Treize! How could you?"_

_"Everyone must pay…for their sins. Even…my death is not without meaning. Wufei... my eternal friend... I'm honored I could fight with you tekkamen..."_

_"This can't be true. No way! I won't let this happen!"_

_"Milliardo... I'll be waiting for you on the other side…"_

_"Damn it! I didn't think I'd win…"_

-----

It was a conflicting time for Wufei and after the war, he found himself lost, without a purpose or fulfillment. He was a warrior, but with no war, no battles, he had nothing. At least, that was how he felt. It was this that prompted him to join Derka's army and fight his former comrade, Heero.

----

"_I do not accept Relena Peacecraft's ways. Her belief that peace is obtained throwing away weapons and confining the soldiers is wrong."_

"_So that's why you're allowing Mariemaia's autocracy?"_

"_That's where the souls of those who fight gather!"_

"_That may be okay for now. But Mariemaia will end up repeating history. The history full of miserable battles. Unless we stop this process now, more soldiers like ourselves will become necessary. If that happens, history will continue to repeat itself. Wufei, tell me? How many more people must we kill? How many more times must I kill that girl and her dog?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Zero will not tell me anything. Tell me Wufei…"_

"_Would an incident like that have to be repeated?"_

----

Because of that and the show of strength by those who did wish for war, Wufei had finally resolved to put Trieze's ghost to rest, to fight to keep the peace as a Preventor. But now…? What was he to think? What was he to do? At that point, he felt his hand lift slightly and upon looking down, he found his hand rested on the furred back of Whiteblaze, who also looked out at the fortress. With a short, but grateful smile, Wufei looked back, the answer now coming to him quite simply. He would do what he had always done.

He would fight…for justice…

--------

"Cyclone, Phoenix, Arctic, Shiva, come forth!"

On command, all four of the warriors materialized before the dark lord, bending on one knee and heads bowed. Zechs, despite being in sub-armor, was bristling with cold air, a tribute to the self-imposed training he put himself through.

"We are here, master." Shiva rasped.

"The time is coming. Our greatest triumph is within our grasp." The crimson eyes seemed to glow in burning capacity. "All that need be done is the elimination of the Ronins and the Celestials, and that moment is here. They will enter this fortress soon and it is here that they will meet their ultimate failure. And when they are cleared away, we will descend upon the Earth and take the realm for ourselves!"

A roar of thunder could be heard outside the chamber and dark clouds swirled in around at Nanashi's words. Within the blackened mist, numerous soldiers materialized all around the citadel, all armed and ready for both battle and for conquest. The four general too, awaited this time. No longer would they toy with these intruders any longer. Now was the time to put them in their place; oblivion. Zechs especially, for he had been waiting for his rematch against the Celestial of Reflections, Heero. With a deepened bow, the icy warrior spoke

"As you wish, Nanashi, so let it come to pass."

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Within another hour, they where ready. Injuries now faint reminders of what was to come, the team rose up and approached the gate. Before entering though, they stopped and Kayura turned to them all.

"This is it. Now we face Nanashi himself." Her expression was grave, showing the seriousness of the moment. "Are you all ready?"

Despite her look, Sekmet smirked. "Sure as we'll ever be, Kay."

Letting the comment slide, Kayura let her eyes close briefly. "Very well, then." Turning toward the gate, she then gave the command for battle. **_"Ronins! Celestials! To arms!"_**

_"Armor of Reflections! Tao Kosei!"_

_"Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!"_

_"Tao Tei!"_

_"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"_

_"Armor of Halo! Tao Chi!"_

_"Tao Ko!"_

_"Armor of Torrent! Tao Shin!"_

_"Armor of Hardrock! Tao Gi!"_

_"Armor of Tempest! Tao Kaichou!"_

_"Tao Chu!"_

_"Armor of Hell Fire! Tao Jitsu!"_

_"Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!"_

_"Armor of Oceania! Tao Meiyou!"_

_"Armor of Strata! Tao Inochi!"_

_"Tao Nin!"_

The swirls of armor flooded the landscape as each individuals armors came to form and encased the selected person with their power, while Yuli, Sally, Une, Dorothy, Mia and Whiteblaze watched on. The teams were now in full battle gear as they continued their approach to the gate. At that point, Mia moved up with the warriors and stood with them, her Starlight Sword glittering in her grasp. Ryo gave her a brief glance and nod, to which she returned. The gate moaned open and the group all entered through it.

And right into the heart of darkness…


	46. Chapter 45

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 44

-

The minute they came through the gates, they were surrounded. The team of armored warriors was encircled by scores of Nanashi's soldiers, all armed and ready to fight. A second later, they charged, bringing their full might against the Ronins and Celestials.

Only to be deflected by the greater might of them…

_"Armor of Hardrock! **Iron Rock Crusher!**"_

Kento didn't waste any time in making his presence known in the battle, calling the full force of his armor to bear upon the first wave of soldiers and blasting them all away in every direction. Now with sizable breathing space, the remaining warriors dove into battle, demolishing any soldier that managed to come at them.

"The Great Destroyer is here and in the flesh this time!"

Duo's scythe rushed through the next pack of soldiers like wheat, tearing them apart and sending them flying as he made his charge. Following just behind, Ryo and Sekmet slashed and hacked through what soldiers he had left over. The three were quickly surrounded, but that was only a brief moment, as Rowen's arrows soared in, taking down the surrounding minions.

"More incoming!" Hilde yelled.

A wave of soldiers stormed in from alongside the gate wall, closing in on the warriors. Hilde, Sage, and Cye met their charge, literally blasting their way through the horde and sending them scattering all over the place. On the opposite end, Wufei, Dais, and Quatre fought with the horde on the other end and Kale, Kayura, Heero, and Trowa fought the mainstream forces in the center.

At long last, the real battle had been joined…

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As the Ronins and Celestials fought, above them on the citadel, the four warriors of Nanashi watched with anticipation. Soon they would enter the battle and defeat these fools. Then Nanashi will continue on his path toward domination with nothing to stand in his path.

"They're doing well, don't you think?" Phoenix whispered to Arctic, who was standing nearby.

Arctic didn't budge. Nor did his facial expression change. "Of course. Any less and I would be disappointed."

"I agree." Shiva added, tapping her finger on the awaited blade. "This will make for a more thrilling spectacle."

Cyclone soon moved to the edge of the platform. "The word is given. We know our parts." He pulled out the bow on his back and smiled darkly. "Now let us enter the stage."

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The dark warriors that were previously above them were right about one thing. The group of armored warriors fought as a single collective force. By following the guiding traits of their armors and battling to their fullest, they were plowing through the Dynasty warriors with little to no trouble at all. But the horde of soldiers seemed endless in their charges, always coming at them from every direction possible.

"Yaaahhh!"

Ryo and Sekmet both brought down another group of soldiers when another group of them arose and began to charge at them.

"Where are all these guys coming from?" Ryo wondered aloud and his katana locked up with a soldier's spear.

_"Snake Fang Strike!"_

Ryo turned to see Sekmet call forth one of his armor's abilities, moving his arms so fast that he seemed to have six arms. Diving in, Sekmet lashed out with his blades everywhere, slashing any that got in his way and blowing them to corroded ash. However, a few got around and behind him and began to attack him from the back. But they were stopped short by the hailstorm of arrows that ran them through. Rowen…

"Don't worry. I've got your backs."

Ryo knocked away the soldier he was with and with a great double slash, he brought down another pile of soldiers. The three grouped together as they saw that they were now surrounded by even more soldiers.

"Well, this looks kinda bad."

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Near the gate wall, Wufei, Dais, and Quatre continued their battle with the Dynasty soldiers on the side. Wufei, in the thick of it, showed no signs of slowing down as his rapier razed across the Dynasty minions piece by piece.

_Shhhhhhkkkk!_

As they all fell, he prepared to move in with his comrade to take down some more when something caught his eye. In the distance to the side, a color different than the gray of the soldier caught his attention. A blue-black form…with a face that was unmistakable to the young warrior. Breaking away, Wufei tore through the soldiers and soon came upon the figure. As he had seen, it was indeed him.

Trieze Khusrenada…Bearer of the armor of Cyclone…Dark Celestial of the Storms…

"So…we meet again, Wufei."

"That's right." Wufei answered, bringing his rapier forward. "And once again, I'm here to stop you and the battles you plan to bring about."

Trieze let out a slow sigh and tilted his bow ever slightly. "You know you can't win."

Wufei narrowed his eyes and then pulled his sword arm back and his left arms stretched forward, forming a lunging stance. Then, in the blink of an eye, Wufei made his move, literally flying toward Trieze.

"Watch me!"

"Heh…"

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Meanwhile, near the frontlines of the battle Kale, Kayura, Heero, and Trowa were all pressing forward through the throngs of soldiers and moving closer to the citadel. With Kento ahead of them breaking up the ranks, the battle was going in favor of the forces of light.

Then a blast of ice put brought that to a halt…

The attack knocked back both Heero and Trowa and the resulting ice that formed cut them off from Kayura and Kale. As the two rose up in revival, the creator of the ice dropped in before them.

Zechs Marquise… Bearer of the armor of Arctic…Dark Celestial of the Ice…

"Stand aside, Tempest." he spoke to Trowa as he unsheathed his saber. Glaring behind him, he continued. "I only want Reflections."

Trowa blinked once and then turned to look back at Heero, who was matching Arctic's glare with one of his own. Trowa had no real problem letting them fight each other, but he wanted to be sure leaving Heero would be in the best interests. He conveyed this with a glance and Heero returned it with a nod. Turning back to the icy Celestial, Trowa complied and began to move back toward the battle.

"I'll check myself out then."

Trowa soon took off, leaving the two Celestials facing each other. Arctic's saber tapped the ground once before he charged at Heero. Heero crossed his blade and met the charge with one of his own. The blade clashed heavily, forcing the two to jump back. However, Heero found his hands and the midsection of his sword frozen in ice. The ice itself didn't bother Heero, but the speed it came did. This wasn't like before when Arctic had to hold him for awhile to do this. This was instant, showing that Arctic had gone through some great training to flash freeze like this. For anyone, this would pose a major problem.

Anyone, but Heero…

"Hmh…"

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_'Heero!'_

From her vantage point, Hilde soon saw Heero's battle with Zechs. Seeing the others doing well against the Dynasty, she decided to back him up. Slicing away at the Dynasty soldiers that were in her way, she rushed over to the battle site, katanas ready for the charge.

And soon met with an inferno…

Hilde stopped short and roll aside before the fire from the sky could hit her. Rising up, she soon saw the source, who was now descending out of the skies and stationed in between her and the battling Celestials.

Lucrezia Noin… Bearer of the armor of Phoenix…Dark Celestial of the Sun and Flame…

"There will be no interference."

"Oh really?" Hilde replied. For the longest while, Hilde felt that she didn't belong with this group and that she was slowing the warriors down. But now was a chance to turn that around.

"Well it just so happens that we have a score to settle too, don't we?"

"Hardly." Phoenix sneered. "You are not worth the time."

"Wanna bet?" Hilde retorted with a feral grin.

"Hmh…" Phoenix tilted her head slightly as she slowly pulled out her jitte. "It seems you don't remember what happened to you the last time. Then I'll just have to burn it back into your memory…" Her weapons alit with a thin flame.

"…Before reducing you to ash."

Hilde bent low, ready for the fight she put herself in. She clearly remembered what happened. But unless she made a stand at some point, she would always feel left out. Crossing her blade, she beckoned Phoenix.

"Let's do this."

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Throughout the entire battle, Mia stayed behind with Whiteblaze to defend the others, working with the white tiger to ward off any who had gotten through the Ronins/Celestials assault. Returning from her attack, she readied herself for the next group of soldiers coming at them when they suddenly stopped.

"What's going on?" Sally questioned. But Mia realized it all too well; her sword song ringing in her ears as the soldiers parted to the sides, revealing the owner of the second Starlight Sword.

Lady Shiva…Relena Dorlian …Dark avatar of Nanashi…

"You'll have to forgive my impatience." Shiva spoke with deceptive politeness. "But I don't want to wait any longer than I have to for my prize."

Mia pulled her own sword closer to her, showing that she would not be giving it up. At this, Shiva waved her sword across the air and readied it herself.

"Hehehe… By all means."

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While the battles waged between the warriors of good and the forces of evil, high above them, Nanashi watched on. His warriors had gotten stronger since the last encounter and were sure to put up a grand fight. But it was also clear that the Ronins and Celestials had also grown in strength. In any case, this would be a strenuous battle for both sides.

Exactly as he wanted...

It was now only a matter of time before the force of good was pushed to their limit, not only by his warriors, but also by the near limitless swarm of Dynasty soldiers created by the fear and dread of those he had captured. Only a matter of time before Mariemaia's purpose could be fulfilled, bringing about their defeat. Only a matter of time...

...Before Wildfire summoned the Armor of Inferno...


	47. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 45

-

Lucrezia Noin... Graduated second top student in the Victorian military school and an expert in the use of mobile suits. Had she used a gundam, it was a safe bet that she could have been very dangerous. Naturally, this skill made her a good teacher and an even better soldier. In opposition, there was Hilde Schbeiker. Resident of the L2 colony and served briefly in OZ's space military. Though resourceful and smart, she was hardly to be considered a warrior. Given this past history and experience and ages, it should be an easy choice on whom would win should these two ever fight each other...

Interesting how that can change when mystical armor is involved...

Hilde and Phoenix began their fight in earnest, with Hilde charging in to attack every given moment and Phoenix repelling her attacks. However, this wasn't how Phoenix imagined the fight would be like. In their first encounter, Hilde was only barely managing to stay alive and it was through Kayura's intervention that she was burned to dust. Now she was coming at her with a strength and power she didn't think she could summon and though Phoenix didn't suffer any injuries, neither did Hilde. As hard as it was for her to imagine, Hilde was...actually holding her own against her. If this was the previous Noin, she would have been quite impressed by this girl's fighting spirit.

But Noin of the Phoenix only found rage...

"Rahhhhh!"

With a backhand swipe, Phoenix struck out at Hilde. Hilde managed to deflect the attack, but was soon hit by a solid fist from Phoenix. But to Phoenix's surprise, her attack wasn't without repercussions, for as Hilde fell back, her leg lashed out in a kick that connected with Phoenix's chest and causing her to fall back. The two women soon rose up and faced each other again.

"I will admit this much." The golden warrioress whispered to her opponent. "You have improved since our last encounter. So you'll understand if I want you dead all the more."

Hilde glared at Noin, yet her words didn't match the gaze. "It doesn't have to be this way...Ms. Noin."

The eyes of the dark Celestial narrowed as she hissed. "You naive girl... That disgusts me even more!"

Phoenix charged at her this time and Hilde crossed her swords in a defensive posture. Striking forward with both blades, Phoenix impacted with Hilde's defense with enough force to drive the young woman down on one knee. Pressing the advantage, Phoenix pushed forward sharply, causing Hilde to lose her balance and stumble back. Hilde tucked her body in and rolled backward, but by that time, Phoenix was upon her, her jitte reversed in order to stab down.

"Farewell!"

But her remark was premature, because as Hilde rolled backward, she had her swords spinning around with her. With Phoenix diving in as she was, she was unable to stop herself from rushing toward Hilde and stopping rising double slash she let out as she returned to her feet.

_Krrsskk!_

The four blades hit each other with a great clash, causing both women's arms to snap back with their weapons. Hilde brought her blades back quickly as did Phoenix and they clashed heavily once again, staying locked this time. As they remained locked, Phoenix soon noticed the cross between blades. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

_'Steam...?'_

Indeed, light steam hissed out between the crossed blades and it was then the Phoenix realized why Hilde was doing better than before. For her, it was more than the time and training that had passed between battles. It was the simplest thing; her element of ice which was countering her element of fire.

Opposing elements...

This did little to nothing to sate Phoenix's anger and only served to make it grow. But in retrospect, that didn't change the fact that she couldn't force Hilde back like before. The girl was actually holding her own against her. _'This can not be!'_

But the only thing she could do was break away from Hilde and charge in again...

-----------------------------------

_"My name is Wufei."_

_"I'm Trieze Khusrenada."_

-

Wufei wasted no time in attacking first, rearing his rapier back for a moment and then lunging forward at Cyclone. Cyclone dodged the stabbing attack and the weapon tore the ground apart on impact. Now airborne, Cyclone loaded his bow with a set of arrows and shot them down at Wufei. The projectiles soared down with loud whistling and at supersonic speed, but somehow Wufei was not only able to see them coming, but with a single slash, he deflected them all.

-

_"Kill me."_

_"It was a good fight."_

_"If you don't finish me right here and now, I won't stop until I get you, Trieze."_

-

With a snarl, Wufei jumped up in pursuit, posing to stab in again and rushing at the same speed as before. If Cyclone was surprised by this, it didn't show on his face as he blocked the rushing lunge with his bow. The force of it however, propelled them both upward further into the sky and toward the citadel.

-

_"That sounds interesting. I hope we can battle again."_

_"Damn it!"_

-

Cyclone narrowed his eyes, pulled back and swung hard, slamming his bow on Wufei's shoulder armor. The two of them twirled and rebounded off the wall. Wufei managed the first move once again and he tackled his body into Cyclone's, sending them both to the ground. Once again, Cyclone pushed back and the two Celestials touched feet fist onto the ground.

"Trieze, this time I will stop you, no matter what." Wufei declared, bring his rapier back in preparation.

Cyclone wasn't phased by his comment. "You were never that strong, Wufei. Do you really think you are now?

With a roar, Wufei lunged once again. "Watch me!"

-----------------------------------

Unlike the other combatants of the field, there were no words exchanged between Reflections and Arctic, aside from the violent clashing of their blades against one another. As they fought, the elemental powers of Arctic began to manifest further, with each of his blows sending shards of ice flying around and the ground forming a thin layer of ice. His entire way of fighting was showing the intense training he had pushed himself into as he continued to drive Heero back.

However, Heero wasn't completely helpless. Though he seemed to be on the receiving end of the fight, it wasn't by much. The ice that had caused him to hesitate briefly before seemed meaningless now, as his defensive movements weren't slowed by the ice. But even with this, Arctic continued to force him back, his use of overwhelming strength to almost bully Heero backward.

"Raaaahhhhh!"

A heavy overhead slice clashed onto the cross-sword block of the Mirage swords, pushing Heero back hard once again and actually causing him to slip back on the ice. But he kept his balance and remained upright. Deciding that he had been on the defense long enough, Heero forced his knees to bend and he lunged forward, with both his sword reared back. Arctic too, was soaring through the air in order to finish off the Celestial of Reflections.

_**KKKRRRRRRSSSSSKKKKHHHHH!**_

The two bodies soared past each other and landed back on the icy floor. Unseen to them both at the moment, both their attack had hit, with Heero's double slashes marking Arctic's chest and Arctic's singular blade razing near Heero's collar. The two warriors slowly turned to each other as they re-evaluated each other. Judging from the attacks, Arctic seemed to have gotten the better half of it, as his was close to being a fatal attack. However, had Heero applied more pressure, his attack could have done serious damage.

The two finally faced each other again, with Arctic's frozen gaze matching Heero's glassy one. Heero could no longer see the once noble warrior that he had been before in those eyes. Just a cold and deadly warrior...

Much like his had been for a time...

_'No time to look back...'_ He couldn't stay with Arctic for long. He still had to confront Nanashi and stop him. But this fight had made it clear that for him to get to Nanashi, he would have to get past the icy Celestial.

And he wasn't going to make it easy...

_Fsssskkkkk!_

-----------------------------------

With all the battles and fights being carried out by the fighters in the courtyard, none of them were displayed with as much splendor and power as the fight between the two wielders of the Starlight Swords. Mia and Shiva danced around each other, with flashes of light in between them given off from their lightning fast strikes. The two danced around each other as they attacked and it was hard to see a difference between their fighting and dancing.

_Tskkk! Tppshh! Tskkk! Tskkk! Tphsshh! Tppshh!_

With the way they were fighting, it was difficult to believe that either combatant weren't initially warriors or even trained to fight. But as it was, the Starlight Swords, merged with the purity of their souls, turned them into incredible warriors.

On opposite sides...

After another clash, the two women whirled through the air and landed a good distance away. Shiva gazed at her opponent and lifted her blade upon her shoulder in a calm manner.

"Well, well, you certainly don't disappoint...Mia, is it?" She then tilted her head to the side. "Maybe you should be called Lady Mia, eh?"

Mia didn't respond as she held her stance. Shiva didn't care much for it though as she lunged in with another strike. Mia quickly reversed her sword and swung with an underhanded slash, meeting with Shiva's attack and deflecting it with a clang. Shiva didn't let up though and went in with a barrage of slashes and stabs; all that were met with the same force and speed from Mia's sword.

Mia soon went on the offensive and countered one of Shiva's slashes, stabbing forward. But in a flash, Shiva leapt high into the air and Mia found herself following a moment after. Meeting each in the air, the two went at it again, exchanging blows as they ascended and then descended into a pile of Dynasty soldiers. The troops were smashed away by the falling bodies, with the rest making sure to stay away from them as they attacked each other afterward with increased fury.

This was a fight not to interrupt...or get in the way of...

-----------------------------------

"Alright boys, we're coming through!"

Amid the swarm of soldiers, Ryo and Duo managed to tear their way through and approach the citadel. The dark palace loomed over them greater than ever, but the two warriors were not afraid and jumped up on the first level. The darkness seemed to grow thicker as they did, but they continued on. It may have seemed a little reckless for them to go up to face Nanashi directly without the support of the others, but if they could draw out the dark lord, they maybe able to finish this battle more quickly.

Okay, it's more than a little reckless...

Regardless, the warriors of fire made their way up toward the top of the citadel. Ryo was focusing on reaching the top, trying not to recall the last time he had climbed up something like this. Being knocked off Talpa's castle several times weren't exactly pleasant memories. Hopefully, this time would be different. Already, he was accompanied with Duo and the Celestial had already displayed great abilities. They should be able to take whatever it was Nanashi would dish out.

They were in for a surprise...

The two finally reached the top of the citadel and charged through the opening, entering Nanashi's chamber. Just as with Talpa, the chamber was heavily shadowed and dark However, they blinked in surprise to find, not Nanashi, but Mariemaia standing there before them.

"Mariemaia?"

The girl gazed at them, equally surprised. And it was at that moment that an unseen force suddenly shocked the two warriors and blasted them right back out the entrance. However, only Duo continued to plummet down the citadel. Ryo was frozen in the air just outside the entrance.

"What...What's...happening...?"

His only answer was a surge of energy that rippled through his body, wracking it with pain...

**"Guuahahhhhhh!"**

-----------------------------------

_'What was that?'_

Hilde had halted her fight with Phoenix when the sound of an explosion hit the air. Looking up, she saw the plummeting body of Duo diving from the top of the citadel.

"Duo!"

Completely forgetting about Phoenix, Hilde rushed toward the citadel, slicing through the Dynasty soldiers without thought. Her speed increased tremendously and she soon, she lept high up into the air and grabbed Duo.

"Hang on. I got you."

The two Celestials landed on the second level of the citadel. As they settle, Duo moaned to himself and rose up.

"That was a close one." Looking up at Hilde, he smiled at her, not noticing her kanji symbol flickering on her forehead once again.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot."

His smile was soon replaced with a wide look of panic and Hilde turned around to see Phoenix diving out of the sky upon them. Before either of them could turn and form some kind of defense, the weapons of the golden Celestial slammed down on them, engulfing the entire area in flames.

"Graauuuh!"

When the flames cleared, Phoenix surveyed the damage. To her pleasure, Hilde was laid out to the side, her armor scorched from her flaming attack and bearing two marks on her back from the impact of her blades.

"Hilde..."

Turning to the side, she saw Duo near the edge of the side, still hurt from Nanashi's attack, but also still on his feet. Phoenix noticed his gaze on the fallen Celestial and placed herself between her and him.

"This prey is mine. You want her, pass me first."

The Celestial of Hell was only too happy to comply...

-----------------------------------

_'Ryo!'_

On the grounds below, the Ronins immediately sensed the plight of the fiery Ronin. Breaking away from their combat, they focused their attention above where they saw Ryo high above them, held in the air by an invisible force and getting struck by dark energy emanating from the top. Nanashi...

"Nanashi's got Ryo!" Kento shouted. "We have to help him."

The scattered Ronins looked around to see the ever-increasing horde of soldiers coming in on them. With so many attacking them, they would never be able to reach Ryo in time to help. Already, the pain of the fiery Ronin was beginning to increase.

"Looks like we don't have a choice but to summon the Inferno armor." Sage replied.

"No, wait..." Kayura warned from the side. But it was too late. The armors of Halo, Strata, Hardrock and Torrent glowed brightly and the energy shot straight up into the sky toward Ryo, disintegrating the surrounding soldiers in the process. But as the energies closed in on him, a light shone from the top entrance and as they hit, Ryo cried out louder in agony. But that wasn't all...

"What the...? Guahh!"

Suddenly, Sage cried out and fell down in some unseen pain. Kento, Cye, and Rowen did likewise, all being tormented by the same afflicting pain. The Dynasty soldiers saw this opportunity and began to renew their attack. But they were cut off when Trowa and Kale dove in between to defend them.

"What's happening with them?"

Sally, Une and Yuli watched the scene in shock as the Ronins were all brought down at once, writhing in pain.

"It's like Ryo's pain...is passing on to them." Sally examined.

"Guys! Ryo!"

As soon as Yuli spoke, a light shimmered from his chest. The Jewel of Life hovered up briefly from his chest and began to spin rapidly until it became a ball of light. Before they could wonder what was going on, something else happened

Wufei set his rapier for another lunge, with Cyclone waiting patiently for his next charge. However, both warriors stopped short when the armor of Oceania began to glow and shine.

"What's this?"

-

Duo's clash with Phoenix was deflected, but the black Celestial wheeled back and readied for another attack. However, he paused when the armor of Hellfire began to shimmer and glow.

_'Huh? What's going on?'_

-

Amid the hordes of Dynasty soldiers, the armors of Dune and Tempest began to shine brightly, causing the two to stop on their assaults. Quatre examined him armor curiously.

"Heero...?"

-

Sally and Une watched the scene with wide eyes. Now the Celestial Warriors glowing, the light from above as well as the Jewel of Life, the energies of the Ronins hovering in the air.

And then, everything exploded at once...

Whatever had happened had caused whatever it was that was preventing the Ronin energies from reaching Ryo to disappear, allowing them to come in contact with Ryo. As the eyes of the fiery Ronin swirled with flame, in another section of the battlefield below, the ice field that had been the battleground for Heero and Arctic had shattered away.

_With Heero's eyes exploding in a supernova..._


	48. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: See previous chapter

-

Chap.

-

_Trrinngggg..._

Kayura found herself in the middle of a field of white, alone. Neither the Celestials, Ronins, Warlords or even the Dynasty soldiers were there. Just her and the constant chime ringing in her ears.

'_Chime...?'_

Her eyes soon began to focus in on an object appearing before her. Another figure was advancing toward her, blanketed by cherry blossom leaves. The chime, she realized, was coming from the Staff of the Ancient's, of which the figure was holding.

_'Was this...the Ancient One?'_

Kayura had never met the Ancient One. But as she knew it, he had died before they could actually meet, giving up his life in order to give the Ronin Warriors a path to Talpa's castle. But she had heard that even afterward, he had helped them from beyond the grave. Was that what he was doing here now?

The figure soon came up close to her; the familiar garments clothed him and the hat that concealed his face. The figure reached up to the brim of the hat and pulled it away, surprising Kayura by both the act and the identity.

"Anubis!"

The face of Kayura's predecessor lifted in a light smile. "It is good to see you again, Kayura."

Kayura returned the smile briefly before questioning him. "Where am I? What is this place?"

As she asked this question, the scene of white around them began to change. Changing into a scene of the space, Anubis turned to the side, where the globe of the Earth loomed below them. Drifting down, the two descended pass the clouds and soon stood upon a peaceful grassy field. In the center was what appeared to be a vortex, glowing in pure white and emitting sparks of energy everywhere.

"This...is the beginning...of everything..."

The two of them settled on the earth and Anubis continued speaking, indicating to the vortex. But upon closer inspection, Kayura saw a humanoid figure walking within the spiral. The figure was heavily shadowed, so she couldn't see its face. Yet the physique showed great strength in the figure.

"Before they were armors, they were simply power. Mystical energy of unfathomable power controlled by a single being. Driven to madness by this great power, the being sought to destroy everything just to display his power."

The being let out a loud maniacal laugh before waving his arm forward, releasing a incredible blast of energy. Kayura stepped back in shock as the wave tore across the peaceful glade, literally transforming it into a scorching wasteland, ablaze with fire.

"The terror of the creature spanned throughout the entire world, engulfing it in fear and destruction, until a group of brave warriors arose to stop him before his lust for carnage became unstoppable. These would be the first of the Ancient Ones."

From across the field of fire, a dozen or so warriors, all clad in white garments, strode toward the maniacal monster. The creature laughed at the approaching defenders and sent out another wave of power at them. The warriors scattered and with loud battle-cries, they charged back and collided in a massive explosion.

"A great battle ensued between the forces, with the world at stake. In the end, these warriors managed to stop the being, but at great cost."

The light of the explosion soon faded away, replaced with a scene of darkness. Rain poured down steadily from the blackened skies and three battle-torn figures remained, soaked in the rain and in some of their own blood.

These three were the only survivors of the battle and the fight itself had weakened the borders of dimensions. And the power of the demonic warrior remained behind. In order to prevent such a disaster from coming about again, they took it upon themselves to turn the great energy into a force of purity and good."

The scene changed once more into white and the two of them were surrounded by several kanji symbols.-Kosei- (Individuality), -Jitsu- (Kindness), -Kaichou- (Harmony), -Kitai- (Hope), -Meiyou- (Honor), -Ai- (Love), -Kitan- (Modesty), -Seii- (Faith), and -Ni- (Responsibility).

"Thus, the creation of the Celestial armors began..."

Kayura was amazed by the tale. Up until now, there was little known about the beginning of the Celestial armors or their connection to the Ronin and Warlord armors. Even Mia's database had scant knowledge on the connection and their creation.

"Anubis..."

Anubis suddenly lifted the staff high, causing it to emit bright light and causing the scene to change once again. When the light cleared, Kayura found herself levitating over a pond within a cavern of some kind. Light trickled down from above them, causing the area to glow in an ethereal light.

"You must come to this place, Kayura." Anubis instructed his voice fading. Kayura looked to see him beginning to disappear. "Only then can the rest of the story be revealed."

"Only then... can you stop Nanashi now."


	49. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 57

-

_Trinnnggggg...!_

Kayura's eyes suddenly snapped open to view a white-lit ceiling. Blinking several times, she lifted her head to find herself on a clean bed in the middle of what appeared to be a medical room. There were other beds around her, one of which was occupied...

...by the prone body of Dorothy Catalonia...

"Dorothy!"

Jumping of the bed, Kayura moved beside the unconscious woman and placed a hand over her temple. As far as she could sense, she was still alive. However, her life force was quite weak. _'Why? What has happened?'_ Her mind was a little fuzzy by the vision she had, so she couldn't think straight at the moment. It was then that the door nearby opened and in walked Sally Po and a man Kayura didn't recognize, wearing a pair of black shades and wearing a vacation style T-shirt.

"You're awake." Sally smiled gratefully. "That's good."

"Sally..." Grasping her head briefly, Kayura looked around again. "Where are we...?"

"We're aboard Howard's cargo ship, in outer space." Sally soon blinked in afterthought and then turned to the man standing beside her. "Oh, and this is Howard."

"How do you do, Ms. Kayura."

Howard's helped us out on a lot of occasions, so this was the safest place to come.

"What do you mean?" Kayura held her head, trying to clear her mind. Then it came to her and her eyes widened slightly.

"...I remember..."

--------------------------------------

The battle had escalated right to its peak. The energies of the Ronin and Celestial armors had been bestowed upon two. For Ryo, this was a natural process, his armor of Wildfire shattering in order to replace it with the white armor of Inferno. Swirls of energy encircled him, darkening his sub-armor and attaching the first parts of the armor, the arm gauntlets. These ignited into a blaze of fire that engulfed the young Ronin and encasing him in the bulk of the armor. Finally the leg armor came up and the fire dissipated, revealing Ryo in the mystical white armor of Inferno.

But he wasn't alone...

Before the dark Celestial of ice, Heero's armor of Reflections shattered, bringing forth a new armor, similar to his first one, but colored in white with blue markings and streaks on the outer parts. Heero's arms crossed in front, summoning the streaked gauntlets onto them and creating a great explosion. A sparkle of light soon appeared in the midst and another explosion erupted, revealing Heero in a new set white of armor.

_'What...is...nhhhhhh!'_

Arctic stepped back as Heero strode forward in his new armor. Despite his drive to continue their fight, he couldn't bring himself to do so. This wasn't the same warrior he was fighting, was it?

Meanwhile, high above on the citadel, Ryo was using his new power to break free from the field Nanashi had imprisoned him in. This proved to be a easy task and in an instant, the energy field shattered, releasing Ryo and allowing him to fall. Ryo landed back on the battlefield, with the surrounding soldiers pausing at the sight of him. However, Ryo remained still, with only his hand trembling lightly.

Then it happened...

It came in an instant, and to everyone's shock. Ryo whirled around and faced a charging Heero, their blades meeting in a spectacular clash that knocked away the surrounding soldiers. The two warriors growled as they were held in lock and then Ryo shoved Heero back. The surrounding warriors saw this and were baffled by Heero's behavior, until Ryo leaped back, grabbed the Fervor Soulswords from off of Blackblaze's back (he had changed as well) and lunged back at Heero.

"Ryo, what are you doing?" Rowen shouted.

His only answer was a loud roar as he attacked Heero. Another explosive clash resulted and more soldiers were blasted away. This went on continuously, with both warriors diving further into their battle-lust and frenzy as they attack one another relentlessly. The other Ronins and Celestials watched in complete shock as the two battled.

"What's going on?" Yuli exclaimed. "Why are they fighting each other?"

"I...don't know." Quatre replied, his emblem shimmered on her forehead in seeming alarm. "Something's...wrong..."

Indeed this showed itself to be true. They were completely lost in the madness of power as they attacked each other, moving up across the citadel as they fought. Their armors were brimming with great energy, but their eyes...their eyes were completely void. They had become mindless fighting machines and there was nothing that could stop them.

"What...is this...that I'm feeling?" Cye whispered echoing Quatre's words.

Their continued to spiral out of control. Their armors burning brightly, the two combatants speedily dashed around the citadel, destroying parts of the tower as they fought. But they didn't care. It soon soared into the skies itself, the sounds of their fighting thundering in the skies. They finally parted and remained still in the sky. The other below hoped that whatever it was that was causing this had ceased, but they were sorely disappointed when the Soulswords began to glow immensely. The same was said for the swords of Mirage, all of which meant one thing.

Kento's eyes widened at the display. "Oh man! They're going to go all out!"

"Heero! Ryo!" Kayura yelled in alarm. "Stop this!"

But again, the cries of their comrades went unheard and the two warriors lit the skies brightly with energy and their fury manifested as they unleashed their great power on each other.

**"RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

_**KKKKKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

--------------------------------------------------

"The armors went out of control..."

"Yeah." Sally nodded as the three walked through the ship toward the bridge. "And after they attacked, they literally blew up everything. It's a miracle we escaped."

Kayura took this in as the door opened to the bridge. There, the crewmen were in their seats piloting the ship. From one of the seats, a small figure jumped up from his seat and smiled.

"Lady Kayura! You're awake!"

Kayura smiled at the sight of the boy and then lowered her eyes down to feel the light fur of Whiteblaze as the tiger slink against her softly. Kayura lifted her eyes and scanned around, but saw none of the Ronins or the Celestials. But that wasn't all.

"Where are Mia and Une? And what happened to Dorothy?"

Sally lowered her eyes sadly. "Well...that's where it got worse."

----------------------------------------------

The fight between Lady Shiva and Mia continued on as before; a graceful yet deadly dance of swordplay. Only their speed had changed; both moving faster than the eye could see. The attacks themselves were mere flashes of light moving along blurs of motion. A sudden lock of blades followed by a simultaneous retreat on the part of both women stopped that for the moment.

"Impressive, Lady Mia. But for how long can you keep up?

In truth however, Mia was doing far better than Shiva expected. Her speed and skill was matching Shiva's, showing that she was becoming more in tune with the sword. Mia was much stronger than when she fought the Sentinel, Baltra. Shiva had no choice but to admit one thing; they were evenly matched.

Not that it made a difference to her...

Mia meanwhile, simply gazed back at her opponent. It was taking a great deal of her concentration to keep the sword's song in her mind. But she was able to hold her own. She just had to wait and hope for an opening. Raising her sword in front of her face, Mia readied herself to make the next attack.

Unfortunately, Shiva decided to make the first move...

With lightning speed, Shiva lunged at Mia full on. Mia quickly backed into a defensive stance and met the charge with a swipe. Shiva leaped over Mia's head, landed on the opposite side and charged again, this time with an overhead swipe. Mia didn't turn to face her, but upon closing, she whipped her arm and sword back, blocking the attack effectively. If Mia's back not had been turned and had Shiva not been wearing a mask, she would have seen the expression of surprise on her face.

_'How...?'_

Swiftly, Mia whirled around after her block, causing Shiva to jump back and away. But by the time Shiva had landed, Mia was charging at her. Shiva lifted her blade in defense and lashed out with a kick in rapid succession. Mia was knocked aside and spiraled through the air, but managed to land on her feet. The two women faced each other once again, with Shiva upset at the fact that Mia had gotten the best of her in that exchange.

_Could she be...better...better than her?_

Mia leveled her sword in lunging posture, ready to charge. This time, she managed to move first, soaring across the ground at Shiva. Shiva brought her sword across, seemingly in defense position. But Shiva then charged at Mia and the two slashed off each other and reversed positions. Both women wheeled around and prepared for the next attack.

Only to be halted by a flash of light...

Mia blinked and looked up at the source as well as the scene. In the skies beside the citadel, Ryo was energized by the powers of the other four Ronin armors and transforming into the Inferno armor. Ryo then lowered toward the ground where she saw him in confrontation with another new armor. But because her attention was diverted, she was unprepared for the attack that had come, largely because...it didn't come from Shiva.

It was Dorothy...

The blond woman had somehow gotten through the hordes of Dynasty soldiers and rammed right into Mia. The Starlight Sword skittered out of her hand and over the floor. Mia looked up from the floor and at Dorothy, complete surprise on her face. At that moment, Blackblaze barreled through the soldiers, allowing Sally, Une and Yuli an opening of the fight. But while Yuli was focused on the fight between Ryo and Heero, both Une and Sally were now focused on Dorothy.

And that's when they saw it...

But before either could remark, Shiva reentered the scene, picking up the fallen sword and crossing it with her own. Mia turned back to her as she chuckled darkly.

"It would appear...that I win this fight by default, Lady Mia. But do not fret." She twirled both swords once and in doing so, swiped off her mask to reveal the cold eyes of the former Relena Dorlian. An equally cold smile in place, she continued. "In reward for your failure, you will listen to the true song of the Starlight Swords. So listen closely, Mia."

Her hair began to whirl as the combined energy of the swords began to gather.

_"Listen to my... **Star Sword Scream!**"_

----------------------------------------------------

"Everything after that went to hell." Sally finished. "The next thing I knew, me, Whiteblaze and Yuli were outside the gate of the citadel with you and Dorothy were on his back, unconscious. Whiteblaze then teleported us out onto a colony and that's when we ran into Howard."

"I was in the area." the man continued afterward. "Things are getting worse on Earth. Almost every colony is deserted now. People are starting to worry and the Preventors are having a real tough time on their hands dealing with it."

Kayura lowered her head in thought. "Nanashi must be abducting people from the colonies the same as Talpa had done in Tokyo. No doubt their fear will be the fuel for his army."

"What are we going to do?" Sally said in worry. "Without either the Ronins or the Celestials..."

"I wouldn't worry about them yet." Kayura answered. "Before I blacked out, I remember seeing the Ronins and Celestials in a light storm. No doubt, they have returned the place where their armors were created, just as when Talpa first attacked them."

"Hey. That means we can go find them." Yuli smiled. However...

"No. There's...something else we have to do first. We have to go...to the cavern.

Naturally, everyone was confused. "The...cavern? What cavern?"

"I'm not sure." The vision was clear in her mind, but she still didn't understand it. But she was positive of one thing. "But we have to go." She moved toward the view-screen and looked out onto the image of the Earth.

"It may be only hope we have."


	50. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: See previous chapter

-

Chap. 58

-

The boosters of the ship, the _Sunstreamer_, flared through the blackness of space as it head toward its destination, Earth. On the bridge, Kayura stood near the viewscreen up front while Sally and Howard stood jump behind her and Yuli at one of the viewports looking out into space (He had never been in space before) with Whiteblaze beside him.

"Well, I got to say; I didn't think I would be in this business again." Howard commented.

Sally raised an eyebrow to him. "Business?"

"You know, helping save the Earth and the colonies." He adjusted his shades and let out a light grin. "Never thought I'd be doing it again."

Sally let a smile show as well. "Well, I have to admit. There are times when I miss those days."

"Me too." Yuli added in, turning away from the port for a moment. When the two gave him simultaneous glances, he went on to explain. "The times when Ryo and the others fought Talpa and the evil Dynasty, right Kayura?"

The cheery boy turned to Kayura, but the woman gave no response or even any indication that she was listening. The other two adults noticed this as well and regarded the woman.

"Kayura?"

This caused Kayura to blink out of her revere and turn to the three. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just...thinking."

In truth, she was doing a bit more than that. Since she revived, she had been trying to summon the Staff of the Ancients, but for some reason, it has yet to come. It was as though it was trapped somewhere. Or rejecting her call. That was a frightening thought. With everything that had been happening, much of which she didn't understand, not having the Staff was the same as loosing a guide. She had hoped that she could use its power to clear her mind in order to understand the vision she had. It felt vague in her mind, but at the same time, it left a powerful impression of direction. Basically, she didn't _know_ where she was going, but she _felt_ where she was going.

It was a bit unnerving to say the least...

Seeing Kayura becoming quiet again, Sally changed topics. "Anyway Howard, how long do you think it will take us to get to the Earth?"

"A day, maybe two." he answered. "You guys were pretty far out there."

"We must get there as soon as possible. I feel that everything depends on what I have envisioned."

Sally turned to Kayura with slight surprise, not expecting her to have responded. She saw the distant look on the priestess face a moment ago, so she knew she was in deep thought. More than that, she was worried. They were going down an uncertain path, and this time, it was without the former gundam pilots or the Ronin Warriors for that matter. At the moment, they were on their own.

Just like the old days...

"Don't you worry about that." Howard answered Kayura. "The Sunstreamer's one of the best ships I've had. We'll get you to Earth in no time."

"Thank you."

---------

"There they are."

"Amazing that they made it this far. But they are to go no further."

"Understood."

"Now then...let us give them the proper greeting."

---------------------------

"Hey Howard. Check it out."

Howard looked at the screen where the crewman indicated. Coming up in front of them was a large debris field. Various chunks of metal and other objects floated around in the black vacuum before them.

"A debris field." Howard noted. "Seems like we keep running into these a lot lately."

Sally blinked at this. "Really?"

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking." Howard replied. "But with the Preventors bogged down, a lot of things slip past their notice."

"Perhaps..."

As a Preventor herself, this fact naturally concerned her. After the Mariemaia incident, Une had been working to reform the Preventors in order to make them more capable of dealing with bigger threats. With a former gumdam pilot as an agent, that task seemed to be pulling through. But now, it seemed that the Preventors were once again in a situation that was in over their heads.

_Shhkkkkkk!_

Unfortunately, these thoughts were interrupted by a violent shaking of the ship, caused by some external force. Sally quickly grabbed a nearby rail to keep herself from floating away elsewhere.

"What's going on?"

"We're under attack!" the crewman answered in alarm. "But the enemy..."

The viewscreen blinked as in response and the occupants were shocked by what they saw. There amid the debris and rubble of space were two armored figures, both in front of their path. Their faces were obscured by the face armor, but Sally, Yuli and Kayura recognized them regardless.

"That Noin...and Trieze!"

This no doubt caught everyone's attention and even Howard was surprised by this information.

"Trieze? You mean Trieze Khusrenada's alive?!"

**Wham!**

The ship rattled again under the heavy assault, throwing Yuli right off the seat and floating in the zero-g. Luckily, Whiteblaze grabbed him from behind and placed him back in the seat, to which he held on to.

"I don't know what they're doing, but its hurting us."

"I'll face them." Kayura replied. The group looked at her as she made her way toward the rear of the bridge. "I should be able to distract them long enough for your ship to get through the debris."

"You're going to fight them by yourself?" Sally half-exclaimed.

Kayura opened the hatch, but paused briefly. "It's the only way to get to Earth." Turning her face to the side, she spoke confidently. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Howard nodded at this. "Okay. If you can keep them off of us for five minutes, we should be able to make it through."

Kayura nodded. "Then I'll return in five minutes."

"Good luck, Kayura." Yuli bade her.

Kayura gave him a small smile and exited the bridge. As she approached an exit hanger, she brought her hand up and closed it in a fist. It would be a challenge to fight against two Celestials at once, despite her skill and experience. She had seen their strength first hand and no doubt their powers have been augmented by Nanashi to make them even more deadly. But despite that, she had to hold them off. They had to get to the Earth at all costs.

_"Tao Chu!"_

Moments later, Kayura exited the Sunstreamer's hanger doors in full armor form. The helmet, which she usually never wore, was now over her head, along with the red mask armor to cover her face and her hair just managing to spill out the back of the helmet. Holding the kusari-gama in her hands, she leaped out of the ship and onto a piece of the rubble outside. She continued to leap along the debris until an arrow was shot just in front of her, stabbing onto the debris before her. Looking up, she saw her assailants just above her.

"So, are you ready to submit to Nanashi now?"

"I will never surrender to Nanashi." Kayura declared. "I will not become a puppet for the Dynasty again.

"You have no choice." Cyclone replied. "You are alone now, Kayura. You can't possibly fight against Nanashi now." He raised his fist up. "Submission is your only choice."

"Never."

"I think you should reconsider, if you value the lives of those aboard the vessel." Phoenix then spoke, pointing one of her jitte at the cruising ship. "It won't take much to destroy it and everyone inside."

Kayura looked off toward the ship. It was still trying to get the debris field and had only managed to move through half of it. They still needed time. Turning back to her opponents, she leveled the curved blade of her weapon.

"If you want them, you will have to go through me."

Cyclone smiled thinly. "As you wish, Lady."

------------------------

As the fight began in space, the Sunstreamer continued to fly on through the debris field. Fortunately, it wasn't too dense, so they didn't have to worry too much about running into anything big. However, the debris they were running into had forced them to take it slow so as to not damage the ship badly.

"How much longer?" Sally grumbled as the ship rattled from another collision

"We're almost through." Howard replied. "Just another minute."

Yuli pointed to the outside." But what about Kayura? We can't leave her out there by herself."

"Don't worry kid. I'm sure she'll make it back in time." Sally assured him. But looking back at the fight, she whispered to herself.

"I hope..."

---------------------------

Sally's fears may have been justified, for outside, Kayura was having a tough time fighting the two dark Celestials. Just as she had guessed, the powers of the Celestial were being augmented. but it was more than Nanashi's dark energy. Their powers seemed to be enhanced in the same fashion that the Ronins powers are increased by...

It was then than Kayura realized why these armors were called Celestials. While it was true that each had their own individual element and powers, they also seemed to be enhanced by the terrain of the stars; by space itself. This added new questions in Kayura's mind. If these armors were enhanced in space, that must have meant that they were built to fight in space. _But why? For what purpose?_

The charge of Phoenix caused her to halted her thoughts and refocus on the task at hand. Whirling the weight end of her weapon, she sent it soaring straight at Phoenix. The golden Celestial dodged aside just before it could hit her. But even worse, just behind her and out of range of Kayura's chain, Cyclone had set up another round of arrows and sent them flying at her. Reacting quickly, Kayura leapt away from the projectiles and landed on another piece of debris. However, as soon as she landed, she was met with a slashing Phoenix.

"Srraahhh!"

Kayura pulled the blade end of her weapon up to deflect the first of Phoenix's strikes. Spinning the second blade in her right hand, Phoenix then stabbed forward a Kayura. But Kayura had long known what she would do and simply flipped her blade upward so that the second jitte would hit the flat end, deflecting it upward. With both jitte away, Kayura lashed out with a fierce kick, hitting Phoenix's side and sending her away. But as soon as Phoenix was away, Kayura say another arrow from Cyclone on her.

_'No! Too close!'_

Despite that, Kayura still moved to dodge. But the arrow struck her and pierced through the shoulder armor. Kayura let out a stifled gasp as she jumped away onto another piece of debris. Immediately, she pulled the arrow out and tossed it away, allowing her blood to leak out in miniature bubbles into space. Looking off to the side, she saw the Sunstreamer just passing through the debris field and out into open space. She had to get back now. Just one problem.

Two problems actually... Both in front of her...

Enraged by Kayura's earlier attack, Phoenix swooped back in with a double slashing attack. Kayura brought her weapon up to bear once again, but the force of Phoenix's attack propelled them both off and Kayura's back slammed into another piece of debris.

"Guah!"

Phoenix continued to hold Kayura in place while Cyclone circled from behind for a clear shot. Kayura grimaced as she tried to push Phoenix away, but managed to do so out of shear panic at seeing the arrow of Cyclone fly at her. Free from Phoenix's grip, Kayura pushed herself away, but now with both Celestials coming at her.

_Pzzzttt! Pzzzttt! Pzzzttt! Pzzzttt!_

The two pursuers suddenly halted in their attack and scattered away from the laser fire of the retreating Sunstreamer. The ship had managed to clear the field and sent a few beams of energy fire. Seeing her chance, Kayura quickly lashed her chain out, hooking the ship from the underside of the wing.

"We got her!"

"Good. Now let's get out of here."

After Kayura reeled herself in and the hanger door shut, Sally, Yuli and Whiteblaze went to check up on her, only to see a troubling side. Kayura's shoulder was still leaking and Sally saw that it would need immediately tending. This disturbed Yuli most of all, for he had never seen Kayura in such a bad shape...ever. It was usually those who faced her that looked the way she did now.

"Kayura, are you okay?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Yuli." she reassured the boy. "It's not as bad as it seems."

Sally was less convinced. "Either way, that needs to be looked at."

As Sally and Yuli moved on with an injured Kayura in tow, out in space, Phoenix and Cyclone watched as the Sunstreamer soared away from them. Phoenix's hands were gripped tightly around her jitte, anger practically seething from her form at the ship's and more notably, Lady Kayura's escape. Cyclone however, watched the ship without any emotion. Smoothly, his hand reached back for a single arrow and after grabbing one, he set it in his bow. Lifting it to his eye, he aimed straight for the Sunstreamer and as he did, energy began to fill the projectile.

_**"Roc Diver!"**_

At the cry, the superpowered arrow flew straight at the departing ship On the bridge, this fact was clearly noticed, largely because of the alarm that were blaring at its approach.

"Energy beam approaching."

Howard wasted no time in ordering. "Reverse thrusters on the port side now! We had to dodge it!"

The Sunstreamer began to shift off to the lower left in order to get out of the path of the arrow. But the projectile was still too fast and it managed to tear across the ship's side, rattling the entire vessel violently.

"Ahhhh!'

Luckily, the Sunstreamer was able to avoid complete disaster and nobody was serious hurt. But the damage it took was badly. Already, fragments of the ship were falling away to space and sparks were dancing around the damaged area.

"What happened?"

Howard turned to see Sally at the entrance of the bridge, still holding on to Kayura and with Yuli at his side. "We took a pretty bad hit. We're lucky to be in one piece."

"Howard, we have a problem." one of the crewmen spoke. "The main power circuit has been totaled and the secondary is pretty messed up. We are going to have to stop to repair them if we want to get to the Earth."

"Which is just what they want." Kayura stood up straight as she looked at the image of the Earth on the viewscreen, which seemed to be so far away now. With a pained sighed, she finished.

"It looks like getting to Earth...will not be so easy after all."


	51. Chapter 50

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 59

-

The now-battered _Sunstreamer_ continued to cruise through space toward Earth, but two of its engines were off, making the journey slow. Onboard, the repair crews were working to get the ship back up to full capacity, but things weren't working in their favor.

"What have you got?"

On the bridge, Howard was overlooking the repairs when one of the technicians came in with the damage report as well as the attempted repairs. Glancing over the report, Howard nodded solemnly

"Hmm. Not too good, huh."

"What is it?" Sally questioned from the side.

Howard adjusted his shades as he answered. "Well, the damage to the engine is more extensive than we thought. We're going to have to stop at a colony in order to repair it."

"That'll take time off our trip to Earth."

"That's not all." Kayura replied from the opposite side. "By stopping at the colonies, we risk further attacks from the Dynasty.

Sally folded her arms. "If anything, they're probably waiting for us."

"That is a certainty for sure. But we have no choice."

--------------------------------------------

"You're up. I was beginning to worry."

"Where...are...we...?"

"Safe. At least for the moment."

"What happened?"

"I'm not quite sure. But for the moment, you should rest."

--------------------------------------------

The _Sunstreamer_ soon came upon Colony X33361, one of the L1 sector colonies. There had been no reports from the colony since the inhabitants disappeared. Accepting the access code from the ship, the _Sunstreamer_ soon settled down in the docking port and the crews immediately got to work.

"Okay. We can't stay here for too long, so get those repairs done, pronto!" Howard shouted over the comm.

"Yes sir!"

As Howard, Sally and the crew went about their near-frantic work in repairing the ship, Yuli resumed looking out the port window on the side. Now that they were docked, there was nothing to see except for the metal walls of the colony and some of the buildings within. Needless to say, Yuli quickly became bored. His gaze soon lowered to the ground level, where Kayura and Whiteblaze stood, facing outward toward the colony, on-guard. Kayura was already in her armor, with the kusari-gama in her hands.

"Kayura."

It took him a few minutes to leave the ship and join her outside. Both priestess and tiger turned to the young boy as he came up from behind and joined them.

"Yuli. You should be back on the ship with the others."

"Well, I saw you here out by yourself, so I came to give you company." the boy chirped.

Kayura smiled at him. "That's very thoughtful of you. But I'm alright. Besides, Whiteblaze is here to keep me company." She emphasized this by petting the white tiger on the head.

"True. But sometimes, he came be boring." Yuli joked.

Whiteblaze growled lowly at him, causing the two of them to laugh a bit. Kayura was glad for the lightened moment, which is why she became greatly upset when she sensed the presence of darkness. Her laugher cut off, it was replaced by immediate seriousness.

"Yuli, get back to the ship right now."

Struck by her sudden change in attitude, Yuli obeyed and backed away. But upon turning around, he found a fog that had now surrounded them all, blocking the view of the ship. Soon, dark silhouettes came out from the fog coming toward them. In fear, Yuli stepped back toward Kayura as she readied her weapon. The shadows came ever closer and soon they took on more recognizable forms.

"Hey, it's the others!"

Indeed, from the fog and mist, the shadows came to reveal themselves as the three Warlords. Kale, Sekmet, and Dais. The three of them approached and Yuli smiled upon seeing them. But before he could run up to them, Kayura held him back while Whiteblaze growled menacingly.

"What's wrong?"

Kayura didn't reply; her gaze locked on the three. Their weapons were in their grip and their eyes seemed to be void. And the darkness was practically pouring out of them. She knew what had happened to them, but their words solidified it.

"Submit to Nanashi or die."

At this, Yuli began to back away, confusion and a bit of fear in his eyes. "Kayura...What's happened to them?"

She said nothing at first as she took a few steps toward the three. She had already seen the possession on control in their eyes long before they said anything. The Warlords were now serving Nanashi and their first assignment was stopping her. They had to get out of this and head to Earth quickly. But if the last battle was any indication, she was not going to get out of this easily, if at all. Yet, her worries were replaced by her determination not to fall here. To do that would be let her comrades and friend suffer as well as doom everyone else. It was simply unacceptable.

"Yuli, stay with Whiteblaze."

The boy gulped as she continued on, but did as she ordered and clung on to the white tiger. Kayura continued her slow stride toward the three Warlords and then stopped.

"Have you decided to surrender to us, Kayura?" Dais spoke coolly.

Kayura was silent a little longer, her eyes gazing over the three...the three that were her friends and fellow warriors. But despite this, she knew that there was only one path to take in such a situation.

"Kale, Dais, Sekmet...I am aware of the control of darkness over you, so talking with you will be useless." Bending back, she slowly settled into a fighting stance. Her eyes became solid as she continued. "But I want you all to know that I will do all that I can to break Nanashi's hold on you."

"So that is your answer?" Kale sneered. "Pointless. And it seals your fate!

With that the Warlords all charged in to attack...

--------------------------------------------

Back on the _Sunstreamer_, Sally continued to do her work on the bridge when then noticed something absent. Or better yet, someone.

"Hey, where's Yuli?"

"Don't worry." One of the crewmen replied. "I think I seen him go outside with Lady Kayura and Whiteblaze."

Sally frowned at this. Yuli was supposed to stay inside the ship, given the dangerous situation they were in. Still...he was a child. And she guessed there was no harm if she was with Kayura and Whiteblaze. Looking out the port window, she was greeted with a dense mist that blocked the view of everything in front of her eyes.

"What with this fog?" Her eyes narrowed. _'And those sounds...Fighting…?'_

The alarms immediately went off in her head and she quickly turned to the crewmen working behind her.

"Five minutes."

"Huh?"

"Whatever you have to do to fix this ship, do it in the next five minutes. Hurry!"

--------------------------------------------

Despite being outnumbered, Kayura was managing to hold her own against the three, keeping a steady defense against them by keeping them at bay with the weight and chain. Granted, this wasn't any better than her earlier battle against the two Celestials, but in this instance she had an advantage. She knew how the warlords fought as well as how their powers worked. It was a slight tactical edge, but it was all she had

_'I just have to buy some time...'_

Her thoughts were broken into by Sekmet's loud cry and charge. His Snake Fang Strike came in full charge and the six swords blazed across her. But Kayura wasn't fooled by the attack and dodged the rapidly moving blades, jumping over Sekmet in mid attack. But just as soon as he landed behind him, Kale came her with a roar; his nodachi reared back and ready to swing. But again, midway into his attack, Kayura launched the forked weight of her weapon and clashed with the sword, deflecting his attack.

"Kayura, look out!"

Yuli's cry alerted Kayura to her side, where the visage of Dais shot out with nunchuku going out in rapid blurs. But instead of trying dodge, Kayura whirled her body around, pulling the chain and weight and causing it to spin around with her and deflecting the multiple attacks from the shadowy Warlord. Dancing away from the trio, Kayura took a defensive pose once again. The Warlord regrouped, but they halted in their assault.

"I see..."

Kayura narrowed her eyes as Dais spoke. "This is no more than a diversion to keep us away from the real prize."

The other two agreed with this comment, much to Kayura's dismay. They had seen what she had been trying to do. Not fight them, but to keep them away from the _Sunstreamer_ until they could repair the damage and leave for the Earth.

And that was something they could not allow...

"Is that true, Lady Kayura?" Kale grinned evilly. "How very rude of you to keep us away from your friends."

"Yes. We must give them the proper greeting, shouldn't we?" Sekmet added, indicating the latter part with a lift of his swords. Dais lifted his hand to disperse the fog surrounding them and revealing the colony once more, allowing them to see the docking bay with the _Sunstreamer_ in the background. Kayura continued to hold a neutral face, but within she was now worried. It hadn't taken them long to figure her out and she wasn't sure the _Sunstreamer_ was up and running.

In short, time's up...

Immediately, the three swooped toward the _Sunstreamer_. Kayura pursued them, but suddenly Kale wheeled back and attacked with a backslash. Caught by surprise, Kayura was smashed backward and into the metal wall on the side.

"Nahh!"

"Kayura!" Yuli cried from the sidelines.

As the priestess struggled to rise from the blow, she found herself shadowed by the three Warlords.

"It is foolish to resist the will of Nanashi."

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed throughout the docking bay. The three turned around to see the engines of the _Sunstreamer_ roar to life. It seemed that her efforts had paid off and the crew had managed to repair the ship. But the three Warlords were not about to let their prey escape.

But then again, neither would Kayura...

With a boost of reserved energy, Kayura kicked off the metal wall and swooped into the air past the Warlords. Her kurusi-gama in full whirl, she twirled around toward them in mid-air and cried aloud.

_**"Quake With Fear!"**_

The now-crimson chained soar straight at the Warlords, flying past them and upon hitting the wall behind, it exploded into multiple chains. These ricocheted everywhere, multiplying further with each surface they hit, entangling the dark Warlords in a chaos of chains. Landing on the ground, Kayura turned to the boy and the tiger.

"Tell them to lift off now!"

Whiteblaze wasted no time in grabbing Yuli by his shirt and rushing toward the _Sunstreamer_, leaving Kayura behind to hold the chained Warlords. With, the dark trio began to struggle against the chains, trying to force their way out their imprisonment. Kayura gritted her teeth as she struggled as well, trying to hold them in. For a while, the tug-of-war was even, with Kayura managing to keep them in hold.

Kale soon changed that...

_**"Black Lightning Flash!"**_

Dark lightning blasted out from the chains, shattering them and hurling Kayura to the floor. The dark trio strode out of the fallen chains and moved toward the fallen warrior-priestess.

"As we said, it is foolish for you to resist."

Now spent, Kayura lay helpless on the ground before the three. Suddenly, the area was filled with bright flashing lights and loud sounds. The Warlords scattered from before her as they were forced to dodge an energy beam from the _Sunstreamer's_ weapon cannons. Kayura blinked in surprise as she turned around toward the ship. The _Sunstreamer_ was aloft, but the hatch was still open and Sally was waiting inside.

"Come on!"

Without delay, Kayura sprang to her feet and rushed toward the open hatch, all the while the _Sunstreamer's_ cannon covering her and keeping Warlords off balance. Kayura soon jumped in the _Sunstreamer_ as the ship took off toward the exit. Sally quickly grabbed hold of the warrior and pulled her inside, slamming her hand on the hatch controls and closing the door just as the ship reached the edge and soon cleared the colony.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for holding them off for as long as you did, Ms. Kayura." Howard replied, entering the bay. "It was a bang-up job, but thanks to you, we got it to pull through."

"Can we make it to Earth now?" Sally asked.

Howard rubbed his chin. "If we don't run into any trouble along the way, sure. There aren't any more colonies in the way, so getting to Earth should be a snap."

"So we're going to make it?" Yuli smiled. "Alright!"

He turned to Kayura, expecting to see her glad from the news. But he instead found her by the window port looking out at the retreating colony. It had hard for her to fight against her former comrades and she almost didn't make it. She said that she would help free them, but she wasn't sure how. She still wasn't even sure what she was looking for on Earth. But she had to go. There had to be an answer there waiting. It was the only hope she...and the rest of the world had.

'Sekmet...Dais...Kale... In the name of my clan...in the name of the Ancient One...I will keep my promise...'


	52. Chapter 51

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 60

-

_Japan_

Despite all the chaos happening in the world around and beyond, the dense forest was a scene of calm and serenity. If not for the events that brought her here, Lady Kayura would have relaxed in the atmosphere. But as it was, she couldn't do so.

She had too much to worry about to relax...

Trudging through the woodland, the lone warrioress walked onward, heading toward destination unknown. And it was that fact alone that made this all the more difficult for her. Nevertheless, she would continue on, trusting if nothing else, her instincts. However, for that very same reason, she decided on taking this part of the journey...alone.

-

_Back, a few minutes ago_

"By yourself?"

On the bridge of the _Sunstreamer_, Kayura had just informed the crew of her plan to continue on alone to...wherever she was going.

"Yes. I believe it is best that way."

But isn't that dangerous. After all the attacks we've been under.

"That's why we need to separate for the time being. So far, their attacks have only come upon me, so you should be safe enough."

That however, wasn't the only reason. Kayura was still uncertain as to where she was going or what she was to do when she got there. Only her instinct and feelings were all she had. Her beloved staff was even absent from her control, for unknown reasons. Because of this, she didn't know if her journey was even safe. So to keep them safe, she would have to go alone.

"We can't just leave you to go alone." Sally protested.

The warrior priestess shook her head. "You must. I need you to find and retrieve the other Ronins, starting with Ryo. If the Dynasty gets a hold of him and the others, than all will be lost."

Howard stoked his beard. "How are we going to find Ryo without you?"

At this, Kayura smiled lightly and turned toward the boy on the side. "Yuli."

At this, Yuli's eyes brightened as he hopped up. "Yeah. We know where to find Ryo. Whiteblaze found it before and I was there too."

"I'll be counting on you, Yuli." Kayura placed a hand on his shoulder and then Whiteblaze's head. "Both of you."

"Right. Leave it to us."

-

_Present, Volcano_

Kayura wasn't the only one to be travelling through woodland territory. In the forest beneath Mt. Fuji, Yuli, Sally and Whiteblaze trudged through the trees toward the volcano. Actually, it was Whiteblaze trudging through while Yuli and Sally rode on his back, with Sally still trying to get used to the fact that she was riding atop the white tiger.

"How much further is it?"

"Just a little more." Yuli answered, just as Whiteblaze leaped over a brush of foliage. "We have to get to the top to get to Ryo."

The trees soon cleared away, revealing the rocky slopes of the dormant volcano. The pair slid off of Whiteblaze and gazed up at the fiery mountain. Whiteblaze soon moved on ahead and they followed the tiger up. A good distance up and Whiteblaze reached an open cave on the side of the volcano that was close to the crater itself. The tiger paused for a moment, allowing Yuli and Sally to catch up to him before entering the cave. Leading once more, the three soon reached the interior of the volcano. Hot lava boiled beneath their feet and light ash and smoke lifted into the air.

"Look! There he is!"

Yuli pointed directly toward the lava pool, where a shimmering sphere flickered in the center. Within it was the unconscious form of Ryo, encased and protected by his armor of Wildfire. Sally gave a slight smile, but then as she looked around, she saw that there was absolutely no way of reaching him, not without melting in the lava. _'I guess I'll have to call in Howard and see if he can pick him up out of there.'_ At the least, the Dynasty hadn't reached him.

Then it got...cold...

That immediately gained the attention of everyone there as a rush of ice-cold air rushed around the inside of the cavern. As Yuli and Sally held their arms together both in cold and surprise, Whiteblaze roared aloud at the volcano crater above and the two looked up at the target of the white tiger's rage.

The dark Celestial of ice... Zechs of the Arctic...

"Wildfire..."

------------------------------

_'So this is the place...'_

Underwater, somewhere on Earth, Phoenix stood motionless on a rocky crop overlooking an underwater valley; her mask and armor keeping her alive and breathing under the seawater. Behind her, Dynasty soldiers moved about, seemingly in search for something. While they searched, Phoenix waited, pondering over this location as her gaze lifted up, looking past the surface and into the sky.

_'This would be the place. The crash descent follows along with the Libra.'_

Libra...the Eve Wars... Seems like such a short time ago, when she was in a battle to determine the fate of the Earth and the colonies. A war that put her on opposite sides of the one person she cared for and trusted more than anything. But now a new war was coming, and this time, she and Zechs was on the same side. It was what she always wanted. To be by his side.

_-Faith-_

Once again, the symbol shimmered, causing her to hold her head. This was getting on her nerves. Every time she thought about Zechs or something along those lines, this would happen. It was as though she was fighting an internal war in addition to the one she was fighting now. The sensations died soon after and Phoenix was alerted by one of her minions.

"Lady Phoenix. We believe we found it."

The Celestial immediately turned with the soldier and followed them to the designated area. Soon enough, she and her troops reached a low area in the seabed, almost like a ditch. Upon wider examination, it seemed at though something had crashed here, hard. As the soldiers encircled the area, Phoenix bent down to the edge of the ground and brushed away at the dirt. Her hand soon found it; a piece of shrapnel metal

_Gundamium alloy..._

-----------------------------

"Wildfire..."

Arctic glared coldly down into the steaming volcano, eyeing the silent Ronin in the center. Below him, Yuli and Sally looked up shock and Whiteblaze roared continuously. His saber gleamed hungrily in his grip as he gaze continued to remain on Ryo.

"Hey, you leave Ryo alone!" Yuli said after getting over his shock. Arctic slowly turned his gaze on the trio, causing Yuli to shrink back in fear slightly.

"Hmph. So you're here as well. Well, it means little in any case." His eyes returning to his target, he pointed his saber at Ryo. "I'm here for Wildfire."

Sally wasted no time as she withdrew her gun from the holster. "Hold it, Zechs!"

Again, Arctic turned to them after hearing the click of the gun. "Do you honestly believe such a weapon will affect me? Do not be absurd."

Even Sally knew better than that. Her weapon was completely useless against his mystical armor. Even if she could hit and injure him, that would only serve to anger the icy Celestial and he would direct that rage to them. And she had seen Zechs in battle during the gundam wars to know how fearful he can be when he's in battle rage. Nevertheless...

"Perhaps. But I won't just let you take Ryo."

"You make it sound as if the choice is yours." With that said, his blade began to circulate with cold energy, in spite the heat of the volcano. Arctic lifted his saber, the frigid winds growing greater and dispelling the rising heat. Sally and Yuli backed away from the cold, driven into the tunnel entrance that they had came through.

_**"Winter's Heart!"**_

The blast of cold flashed down along with the saber, colliding with the lava surrounding Ryo and instantly freezing it solid in ice. Both Sally and Yuli were thrown back into the cave entrance and the opening sealed up with ice. Yuli rose up first and began to bang his fists on the ice.

"Whiteblaze! Ryo!"

Meanwhile, in the now frozen crater of the volcano, Arctic made his way down to the icy terrain and toward the frozen lump that contained the armor of Wildfire and its bearer. Stopping in front of it, he lifted his blade to strike when an explosion stopped him in his tracks. Looking up at the area where the cave had frozen in, Whiteblaze emerged from the block of ice that he had been imprisoned in. Only...it wasn't Whiteblaze that came out. The shining white armor coupled with the shadowy black fur revealed that for a fact.

Blackblaze...

Arctic immediately leaped aside as the armored tiger savagely lunged at him. Blackblaze continued to growl, with his body stationed between the frozen Ronin and the dark Celestial. Arctic stared at the tiger as it continued to growl at him and take a defensive posture.

"Defending your master? I can respect that. But..."

Arctic suddenly dashed at Blackblaze and the tiger lunged at him in return. Their blows went quicker than the eye could see, but in the end, Blackblaze was knocked away by the force of Arctic's saber and slammed into the crevice above the ice. The tiger struggled to rise, but found his legs frozen still. Rising from his attack, Arctic gave the disabled tiger a backward glance.

"...You can not defy the will of Nanashi."

"Whiteblaze!"

Behind the ice, Yuli slammed his fists against the ice sealing them away from the interior of the volcano, but the ice didn't budge. Already, Sally had tried shooting through it with her gun, but the ice was solid even against that. Both of them were helpless to help and Arctic was already upon his prey.

"Ryo! Wake up!"

Suddenly, a glow of light caught their attention and Yuli looked down to see that it came from the Jewel of Life. The item spun around rapidly, becoming a singular ball of light. Then in a greater flash of energy, a ray of light shone out toward the ice barrier, shattering it completely.

"What?"

Arctic looked up in surprise as the light beam soared toward him. Arctic backed away quickly, but the ray never came to him. Instead, it struck the lump of ice that had Ryo contained within, causing the ice itself to shine and slowly cracking the ice beneath. Heat and steam began to lift from the rapidly cracking ice and Arctic quickly leaped up and away. The ice soon shattered completely, with the lava erupting free into the air. Arctic reached around the crater edge just before the blast of molten rock could touch him. The lava then settled back in the volcano and Arctic glanced back in, hoping that he could still reach his target.

But it was far too late for that...

Upon the liquid rock stood Ryo of Wildfire, fully revived and gazing up at the icy Celestial. His face was covered by his mask; an indication that his power was at its max. Reaching back, Ryo unsheathed his twin katana and readied himself to fight against him.

""Why don't you try picking on someone your own size!"

Arctic growled to himself, knowing that he had lost his opportunity. Fighting Ryo was one thing, but confronting a Ronin of his own terrain was a sure path to defeat. Like it or not, he would have to let the Ronin go...for now.

"Another time, Wildfire."

Arctic soon faded from view, retreating to the Netherrealm. At that point, Yuli and Sally returned to the volcano interior while Whiteblaze, relinquishing his dark armored persona and now free from the ice, made his way over with them. Seeing his friends on the side, Ryo leapt out of the lava pool and joined them.

"Welcome back, Ryo."

"Thanks." His face armor shifted away to reveal his features, which were slightly confused. "But...what happened? All I remember was...fighting...Nanashi caught me in some energy field...then...I woke up here."

The two of them blinked and Yuli was the first to ask. "So you don't remember...fighting Heero?"

The Ronin's eyes widened at this news. "What? I was fighting Heero? But how...why?"

"We'll tell you everything later." Sally interrupted. "Right now, we better get back to the ship."

With a nod, Ryo followed the pair and the tiger, with a million questions spiraling in his mind and no answers to silence them. _Why would he fight Heero? How did he get back to Earth? Where are the others?_

_Was Mia okay?_


	53. Chapter 52

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 61

-

Kayura continued on her journey through the woodland forest. So far, she had seen nothing out of the ordinary; just thicker trees and bushes. It was getting to the point where she was becoming frustrated. As far as she had seen, she was wandering about aimlessly through a forest, all the while, her former comrades were probably wreaking havoc upon all that they met, which could more than likely be her friends aboard the _Sunstreamer_ while the Ronins and the Celestials slept dormant somewhere. And the only hope she had to work on was a feeling she had.

But it could not be ignored...

Ever since she was freed from Talpa's control, Kayura had begun to have a minimal understanding of her powers as a member of the clan of Ancient Ones. She thought she learned all she needed from Anubis's example and the Staff, but there seemed to be more to her abilities than just those few things. And it looks like she was learning about them the hard way...

_'Wait...'_

Kayura found herself pausing, feeling a stronger sensation. Not only that, but it seemed to be close. She didn't know what, but it replaced her frustration with a renewed vigor of search. Moving off to the side, she continued to follow her senses, tracing what was now a faint, but clear energy presence within a deep brush of trees and bushes. Clearing a few branches aside, she soon saw that the branches weren't as deep as she thought, but rather there was a hole that curved into the side of a high mound of earth, the darkness making it seem deep.

_'A cave.'_

Mystical energy emanated strongly from within the entrance, causing Kayura to pause to consider whether it would be safe to go in or now. Yet there was now a sensation of familiarity that overcame her. _'Have I...been here before?'_ There seemed to be more questions in her mind than when she was simply wandering before, but now she knew where the answers lie.

Kayura moved into the cave, still cautious, but more intrigued now. There was a faint glow from far within, but she couldn't make anything of it yet. Soon she reached a point of the cave where the light was bright enough to illuminate her surroundings. And it was then that she saw a silhouette of a figure standing in front of her path between the light. A pair of swords shone in the light, causing Kayura to step back and summon her kusari-gama in her hands. The figure began to move forward, slowly revealing to be a female presence. Also, the sword she was holding were more than familiar...

_'The Starlight Swords!'_

Kayura was confused by this. Who was this? Was it Lady Shiva? If it was, then that would be very disastrous for her right now. But an even worse thought entered into her mind. _Could it be Mia? Did Nanashi take control of her?_ But what Kayura wasn't prepared for was the true answer, for when the figure came in clear enough, Kayura was completely shocked by her identity.

It was her... Lady Kayura...

----------------------------------

_Sunstreamer_

"So that's what happened?"

On the bridge of the ship, Yuli and Sally had filled in the fiery Ronin on the events after the battle with Nanashi's forces in the Nether Realm. Unfortunately, the information of the beginning was sketchy, so Ryo was left in the same state of confusion he was when he awoke from the volcano.

"Yeah." Sally finished. "Unfortunately, it's not much. Everything went crazy at that point."

"It just doesn't make sense." Ryo replied, shaking his head. "I don't even remember fighting Heero. After Nanashi zapped me, the last thing I remember was the others giving me their power." He grabbed hold of his forehead. "It's all hazy after that."

"From what Kayura told us, you and the others were blasted to the resting places of the armors." Sally informed. "We have to find the rest of the Ronins and Celestials before Nanashi set to them."

"Right. We already know where the other Ronins are, but finding the Celestials is another story. Maybe Mia can..." It was there that stopped, noticing that she was absent from the bridge. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her around since he came on board.

"Hey, where is she?"

"Oh..." Yuli lowered his head sadly. "Mia...isn't here, Ryo."

"What?"

"During the fight, we were separated from her and Lady Une. We haven't heard from them since."

Ryo shook his head in disbelief and guilt. He had assumed that she was with them, but instead, she was lost somewhere in the Netherealm. And all because he lost control of his armor. His hands tightened into fists and he declared.

"We have to find her then."

Sally quietly took note of Ryo's choice of words, but cautioned the Ronin. "No, Ryo. If we go back to the Netherealm now, we are sure to get ambushed. We should find the others first before anything."

Howard decided to step in and speak. "Actually, I think we should check in on Kayura first."

"Good point." Sally agreed. "She might have a lead we can work on."

Ryo's thoughts were elsewhere, but he nodded nevertheless...

----------------------------------

Kayura stood in stunned amazement as she faced a mirror image of herself. Not exactly a mirror image. Rather it was an image of her past self, when she was a servant of Talpa. The same garments, same weapons, even the red markings around the corner of the eyes. The doppelganger raised her swords in ready stance and suddenly lunged. Kayura snapped out of her shock and managed to leap away just before the blades hit her. However, the shadow Kayura pressed her assault by following in and slashing upward, clashing with Kayura's weapon and smashing her against the cave wall.

"Guh!"

As Kayura slid down to the ground, the doppelganger came at her again. With nowhere to dodge, Kayura was forced to block, with the blades of the Starlight Swords coming in close to her face. The cold eyes of the dark double pierced into her as she continued to force the blades ever closer to Kayura.

"I...must...!"

With a forced cry, Kayura suddenly pushed back her doppelganger, who backflipped away for a safe recovery. However, it was now Kayura on the attack as her chain weight came flying at the double, almost smashing into her face. But the doppelganger had managed to move her head out of the way, allowing the weigh and chain to soar on by.

While Kayura came in for the real attack...

**Bam!**

Following behind her chain, Kayura landed a solid kick on her double after she had dodged the first attack. The doppelganger hit the ground hard, but miraculously managed to rebound off the ground and waved the swords in motion. Kayura, ready to press the attack, stopped in horror when she saw recognized the stance.

_Star Sword Scream..._

The doppelganger waved her blades upon, causing a blast of water to erupt up and followed by bolts of crimson energy. Kayura was engulfed by the attack and would have been hurled away if not for the words that echoed in her mind.

_'Stay strong, Kayura! Follow the soul of your armor!'_

She was too wracked in pain to try to recognize the voice, but the message was enough for her to fight back. The symbol of Chu -_Loyalty_- shone brightly on her forehead as she bypassed the pain she was being inflicted with and whipped the chain around. Glaring at her dark copy, she called forth the power of her armor.

_**"Quake! With! FEAR!!!!"**_

The chain lashed out and smashed into the ground in front of the doppelganger, smashing bit of stone and debris everywhere. The chain soon multiplied into several, soaring upward like lightning and erupting in a crimson storm of power. The doppelganger was completely engulfed in the energy torrent and vaporized within.

When the lights and dust soon settled, Kayura collapsed to her knees, partly bending over. Enduring the Star Sword Scream while launching her own attack had nearly torn her apart. In fact, if she were attacked now, there would be nothing she could do about it. But fortunately, her doppelganger had truly been vanquished. Weakly, Kayura regained her bearings and slowly trudged toward the light. She soon reached the source and was stunned again, this time by a breathtaking scene

"Incredible..."

Before her was a sparkling circular cave, with a crystal clear pond glistening in the center. The light that she had seen was shining overhead, but it didn't look as though it came from an opening in the cave. Forgetting her pains, Kayura strode in further, examining the entire area. Her eyes widened as she saw the upper areas of the cave. Lined all around were nineteen symbols, eight of which were glowing.

-Kosei- -Jitsu- -Kaichou- -Kitai- -Meiyou- -Ai- -_Kitan_- -_Seii_- -_Ni_- -_Jin_- -Chi- -Shin- -Gi- -Inochi- -_Chu_- -_Nin_- -_Ko_- -_Tei_-

Four of the ones that were glowing, Kayura recognized immediately. They were the souls of hers and the other Warlords armors. _'These must indicate the armors that are active.'_ Seeing the symbol of Jin -Virtue- alight, Kayura confirmed that Yuli and the others must have succeeded in freeing Ryo. The three remaining, she realized where the souls of the armors of Phoenix, Arctic, and Cyclone, the three Celestials of Nanashi. Once again, the question of this place came to mind, but surprisingly, an answer came to her.

_'Enter, O child of the Ancients...'_

The voice had come from the pond, sending little ripples throughout the waters. Kayura felt her caution return again, but it was quickly subdued by her earlier sensation of familiarity. Looking at the water briefly, she slowly stepped in, feeling the cool water even through her armor. Unbeknownst to her at the moment, her pain had seeped away and her strength returned in full. She had soon reached the center of the pool, where the water was just at waist level. Her eyes rose upward to the light, which was now shining over her head. Only now it seemed to be glowing even more, slowly but surely obscuring her vision until there was nothing but light and energy. Kayura felt as though her entire body was flying and saw nothing but light everywhere. A familiar chine rang in her ears and turning toward it, another presence made itself known to her.

"You finally made it, Kayura."

"Anubis..."


	54. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: See previous chapter

-

Chap. 62

-

_Forest_

"So Kayura is out here?"

The _Sunstreamer_ had landed just outside of the forest area where Kayura had ventured. Outside the trees, Ryo, Sally, Yuli and Whiteblaze stood before the trees below the ship as they prepared to enter the woodland.

"Yeah. It was what she wanted." Sally answered the Ronin.

Ryo nodded lightly, but his attention seemed to be diverted. The Preventer noticed this right away and moved beside him.

"Ryo? Are you alright?"

"Hmm." Ryo blinked as he turned to her. "Oh, yeah."

Sally couldn't help but smile. It was starting to feel like the beginning of the Gundam wars. Looking into the woods, she said simply. "I'm sure she's alright."

The Ronin found himself blinking again at her comment. "Huh?"

"You're almost the opposite of Heero." Sally continued. "You don't hide your feelings well, Ryo."

Ryo face began to redden a bit, until he realized what she said. "Heero? What do you mean?"

Sally chuckled a bit before answering. "Him and Relena. Although I think it's a bit more complicated for them." Her smile faded away. "Especially now."

Heero...and Relena? That was quite a surprise to the Ronin. As long as he had known Heero, he had never thought him to be the type to like someone, much less Relena. Even now, Ryo didn't believe it. The Celestial of Reflections never really displayed his emotions that way or any way for that matter. But it did explain why he protected Shiva in that battle they had before.

"I guess. Huh?"

Just then, Ryo heard a slight humming sound coming from his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out his orb, and along with Sally, gazed as the crystal shimmered with his trait repeatedly in his hand

_'Virtue...'_

----------------------------------------------

"Anubis..."

The two warriors of the Ancients stood in the midst of a scene of white. Slowly, the scene changed back into the crystal pond, but now it was within the light. The traits of the Ronins, the Warlords, and the Celestials shimmered around and over their heads as before in the cave, only now, all nineteen symbols were glowing.

"What is this place?" Kayura asked.

"The Sacred Pool." Aunbis glanced around. "In this place, this is where the souls of the armors were first birthed." His eyes lifted up to the symbols above. "The best traits of all of mankind are forged here, creating this place of purity."

Kayura looked up as well and a realization came upon her. "This place...it was created by the Ancient Ones..."

"Yes. Although you have never been here, your heart knew where to take you." His eyes dropped and fell upon her with a light smile. "A heart of purity."

"Then what was that..." She paused, not knowing exactly how to describe fighting herself. "What was it that I fought?"

Anubis nodded in understanding. "It was a test. When it comes to humans, they exist in a blend of light and darkness. Whichever is the most dominant is primarily up to the individual. As such, for those of your clan, to ensure that they can harness the purity of light in this place, they must face their darkness. In defeating it, you have proven yourself worthy to enter this sanctuary."

"I see..."

"Now the time has come for you to know it all."

In a flash, the pond disappeared into white light once again. The time was brief however and the scene darkened. As though they were soaring though the sky, Kayura and Anubis descended upon a dark field. Kayura remembered this place from the last vision. The battlefield where the forces of light met with the destructive power of the unknown warrior... But this time, Kayura was right in the middle of the battlefield, with the fearsome creature storming toward her.

_**"You dare to challenge my might?! Foolish mortals!"**_

Kayura felt her body automatically retract into a defensive stance at the sight of the frightful figure, but managed to control herself. No matter how real it seemed, this wasn't actually happening, because it had already happened. She wasn't really there, therefore, the creature wasn't bellowing at her, but rather the white-clad warriors behind her.

The clan of the Ancients...

A dozen or so warriors were gathered on the opposite side, all armed with golden weapon that shone despite the gloomy skies. The warrior in the lead raised his sword into the air and then toward the rampaging creature.

"Your destruction ends here, Nanashi!"

Kayura's eyes widened with shock as she turned back to the creature. She hadn't seen Nanashi yet, so she was unaware of the monster's identity. However, to know that Nanashi was involved in all of this beforehand was a surprise to say the least.

"That's Nanashi?!"

"Yes. The first warlord from the Nether Realm, Nanashi was also the creator of the dark world, using the power of the Gem of Creation, an artifact ancient even to those who would be called ancient."

Kayura looked over to Nanashi again, examining the demonic warrior until she caught glimpse of his collar. Embedded in the armor was a pearl-like sphere, shimmering in a pale aura of energy. The creature in possession laughed at the opposing force.

_**"Wrong. Its path will be cemented in blood. YOUR BLOOD!!"**_

If there was any fear in the warriors of light, they did not show it through their determined expressions. And thoughts that it was hidden were tossed away when they all, with loud battle-cries, charged at Nanashi.

"And thus the first battle ever waged between Earth and the Dynasty began."

From the distance, Kayura watched as the warriors engage Nanashi, attacking with all their might. But Nanashi warded off their seemingly meaningless attacks and unleashed his power in an onslaught. The battle rages for hours, with Kayura watching as the warriors of light were torn apart. However, they never stopped fighting and no matter how much the Dynasty master punished them, they continued to fight on in the greatest show of bravery and courage she had ever seen. Finally, it ended when their leader struck the Gem of Creation and weakened Nanashi enough for his remaining comrades to strike him down.

_**"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"**_

Nanashi crumbled to the ground and vaporized, leaving nothing behind save his powerful gem, which had been cracked and splintered into two pieces, and the bodies of those he had slain.

"Your ancestors emerged out victorious from this fight. But it wasn't without a price. Only four survived."

Kayura blinked and turned to Anubis. "Four? Before, you said it was three."

Anubis nodded, but kept his eyes trained on the battlefield. "Yes. Three humans and a white armored tiger."

Looking back, Kayura saw what he meant. Beside the three warriors, there was indeed a white tiger, covered in silvery armor and bearing two sword sheaths on the side.

"Whiteblaze."

Anubis nodded once again. "Back then, he was known simply as Blaze, the tiger companion of Darius of the Ancients."

The tiger roared in mourning as the three stood motionless; taking in the fact they had won the battle, but had lost many of their friends. Kayura too, felt the pain of the loss, although she didn't understand why. Sympathy was one thing, but what she felt was deeper than that. Anubis almost seemed to be giving the same expression and the scene grew to white once again.

"Though Nanashi was vanquished, the major source of his power remained; the Gem of Creation, which had been cracked in the center by Darius' attack. Despite this, it still contained unfathomable power. The three decided to take its power and forge it into a weapon of light in the case Nanashi, or any of his newly formed Nether Realm, came to threaten the Earth Realm again. And so they came here."

The scene of white dimmed once again, returning the two to the Sacred Pond once again. But this time, they stood by the side of the waters, while the four figures were in the pond itself, standing in a semicircle. In their midst, the Gem of Creation hovered, still cracked in the center until the entire Gem shattered into two pieces. Again, Kayura was caught with recognition, but this time, Anubis voiced it before her.

"Yes, Kayura. The Jewel of Light and the Jewel of Life are the two halves of the Gem of Creation. And through them were born the Celestial armors, the Ronin armors, and the Warlord armors."

"But I don't understand." Kayura said in askance. "I thought that the Ancient One created the Warlord and Ronin armors through Talpa's mystical armor."

"It is true. Talpa's mystical armor was created when the Jewel of Life disappeared after Nanashi's first attempt to regain his power. This occurred after the Celestial armors were completed."

The scene of white began to lift around them again, this time showing a scene of an open field with a forest on the edge. But then, a swirl of black cloud came out of nowhere and a massive crimson gate materialized into view. Thunder rumbled and lighting struck as the gate slowly opened and a pitch-black creature stumbled out. It seemed to be part armor and part mist, but the demon red eyes showed it malice that could only be found in the Dynasty master.

Anubis continued the story. "Nanashi managed to obtain the Jewel of Life, but because it was only a fragment, he was defeated and vanquished into a labyrinth of darkness within his own realm. Unfortunately, he pulled the Jewel in with him, but lost it somewhere in the realm, where its power was used to created the Talpa's mystical armor."

The scene changed once more, showing the two Talpa's first attack on the mortal realm. "And from there, Talpa, the first of Nanashi's children, mounted an assault on the human world, only to be vanquished by our predecessor, who separated the armor into the nine armors of the Ronins and Warlords.

The scene changed once more, returning them to the Sacred Pool, hovering above. From their vantage point, they saw all the armors encircled around the pond and both Jewels hovering above in the center.

"The two halves of the Gems were used to symbolize the traits of Heaven and Earth. As such, the armors took up these characteristics in their construction. The Celestials were suited for the stars above, while the Ronin and Warlord armors were for earth below.

The armors and the Jewels disappeared from the scene and were replaced with the three surviving Ancients and their armored tiger companion within the crystal clear waters.

"But more than the armors were needed." Anubis went on. "To protect them until the proper time, three items were left to aid those who would protect them until the time came for them to revive. From the woman warrior Shera, her enchanted weapons, the Starlight Swords. Keras, the leader of the Ancients, left behind his powerful weapons, the very weapons that cracked the Gem of Creation, the Soulswords of Fervor. And Darius left his faithful tiger as the guardian."

The scene focused in on Blaze, who was stationed at the cave entryway, the same area where Kayura faced her darker half.

"When Blaze was put through the trial, his soul split, becoming the dark tiger Blackblaze. The two of them fought, but with no victor. As a result, they remained separated until Blackblaze reunited with Whiteblaze in order to save his life."

The scene then switched back to the cave interior, where the leader of the Ancients lifted his weapons into the air. The swords soon left his hands and then floated to the right of the two Jewels.

"The Fervor Soulswords became attracted to the combined power of the armors, thus becoming the only weapons that would suit the Ronin armor of Inferno as well as the Celestial armor of Nova. In addition, Keras made it so that the tiger guardian would be the bearer of the swords for the wielder, whoever it may be."

The scene finally shifted to Shera, who lifted her hands into the air and allowing her precious swords to levitate beside the Jewels as her leader had done, with the blade stationed to the left of the Jewels.

"Finally, the Starlight Swords were designed for the use of the Ancients that would be around to fight. Normally, such power wasn't needed except for extreme cases. However, the swords were lost some time ago when the clan was destroyed by Talpa, ultimately winding up in your hands."

"Then how can Mia and Shiva use them?" Kayura asked.

"As the Soulswords of drawn to power, the Starlight Swords are drawn to purity. However, the Soulswords were bound to the armors while the Starlight Swords had to remain free for their use. So after your defeat, they wandered, seeking a soul to revive them."

"I see." She had already known that much and Mia confirmed it as well. "But tell me... How does all of this help us to defeat Nanashi now?"

"The armors, powerful as they are, are still incomplete." Once again, the images of the armors came up, surrounding the two. "In fact, it is a result of that power that makes them that way. As a result, the armors themselves desire battle. When a powerful foe faces them, they will be drawn in to fight regardless of reason or purpose. This is especially true of the armor of Nova and the armor of Inferno, those being the physical manifestations of the Gem's power."

"So that's what happened between Heero and Ryo."

"Yes. Nanashi thought to try to use the Inferno armor's power to awaken the Jewel of Life and reunite the Gem of Creation. But he did not expect for the armor of Nova to come forth and do battle with it, not to mention the resulting backlash. Thus, his plans were delayed. But as long as he is in possession of the Jewel of Light, he controls the heart of the Celestial armors."

"What must be done?"

"The armors much become complete." Anubis answered. "To become the weapons of purity they were meant to be, the three armors of purity must be brought here. Once that is done, then all of the armors will be refined into the souls they were granted, allowing all the bearers to be free from their hidden bloodlust."

"The three armors...of purity?"

This was new information to Kayura. _Armors of purity? What did that mean? Was there another set of armors somewhere?_ Once again, Anubis answered her question

"Out of all the armors created, only three of them possess the most sacred of human emotions. Emotions that allow for the light to always shine, regardless of the darkness. These three were placed into three of the Celestial armors."

The armors began to fade away, leaving behind only three of the Celestial armors. Kayura quickly identified them. The armor of Dune, the armor of Crystal, and the armor of Phoenix. Above them, the traits of Faith, Hope, and Love glowed brightly.

"Once brought here, these traits will filter into the other armors, freeing the bears of the armor's curse." His voice became urgent and his presence began to fade away. "But you must hurry. Nanashi's strength grows even now and he seeks a new way to reenter our world with a power that would make him unstoppable."

Kayura reached out to him. "Anubis, wait. The Staff. I am unable to call it forth."

Anubis soon became transparent, but his expression had returned to calm. "Worry not, Kayura. It...is...in the...hands of...another..." His form soon disappeared entirely and the scene of white completely obscured Kayura's vision, leaving her with Anubis' last words.

A poem...

_Star of the night, comet of fire,_

_Let faith be the spark of your pyre _

_Soul's heart of heavenly delight_

_Hope be found in the sands of the night_

_Above the tower of snow and rhine_

_Between heaven and earth, love burns divine_

_The purity of mankind in the waters of peace_

_Unlock souls of fight_

_Shine forth with power eternal_

_Creation's light._

"Kayura...Kayura, wake up!"

"Hm?"

The white cleared away and Kayura found herself lying on the ground within the cave, with Yuli's face looming over her.

"Yuli?"

The youth's face exploded with a smile. "Hey everybody, she's waking up."

Kayura closed her eyes and lifted herself off the ground, holding her head as she did so. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Yuli, Sally and Ryo all standing around her.

"You... You're all here. But how?"

Ryo lent his hand down to help her up, all the while answering her. "The armor of Wildfire... It guided us here."

"What is this place?" Sally asked as Kayura rose to her feet

"This...is the Sacred Pool." The knowledge that Anubis left her was still fresh in her mind along with the poem and the task she had to complete.

"Our last hope to defeat Nanashi."


	55. Chapter 54

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 63

-

_Sacred Pool_

For the past fifteen minutes, Kayura explained to the group everything that Anubis had informed her through the vision. The team was all astonished by the information, especially Ryo. The true origin of the armors, their past battles, the connection to the Celestials, and most importantly, the reason why he felt a sense of aggression whenever he wore the Inferno armor. He had long ago worried about using the powerful armor, though it was because of not wanting to leave his friends helpless. But he never imagined the inherit darkness that lay within it.

_'Guess that's why it always seemed like it wanted to emerge when things got hot.'_

"From the sound of it..." Sally spoke some time after Kayura finished her story. "...each of the armor sets work in different lines of defense."

Yuli, who was sitting beside the water and splashing his fingers in it, turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Sally folded her arms (a steadily developing habit for her now) as she answered the youth's question. "Well, it seems to be a minor detail, but from the looks of it, the Warlord armors are the first line of defense, acting as guardians on the border of realms. Then the Ronins would come out and join then should things get heavy and if the problem is beyond even them, then that's when the Celestials would come in."

Kayura looked over at Sally. "That is an interesting point of view. It may also be accurate. The Warlords are the first to come in contact with the Dynasty, which is how Talpa got a hold of them first. And that would explain why the bearers of the Celestials have never known about their armors up until now."

Ryo frowned somewhat. "So you mean that...all our past battles weren't bad enough for the Celestials to awaken?"

"Maybe. It's just a thought really." In Sally's mind, Kayura's explanation of the armors sounded like a battle formation. "It any case, our mission now is to find these armors of purity, correct?"

"Yes." Kayura nodded. "Once we find the bearers, we must bring them here where they will purify all the armors and then we'll be able to fight Nanashi."

"Just one problem. One of those armors is Phoenix and I'm sure pretty sure Noin won't just agree to help us." the Preventor replied grimly.

Yuli waved his hand through the water. "And we have to find the others too."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Kayura began to reassure them. "Before..."

Just then, Sally's communicator went off. Picking it up, Sally was greeted by a louder-than-normal Howard on the other end of the line. _ "Sally! Sally! Is anyone there?" _

"Howard? What's wrong?"

_ "Let's just say we've got visitors, of the worse kind." _

"The Dynasty?" she exclaimed.

_ "You bet. Whole lot of them. So help would be really appreciated now." _

Hanging up, Sally prepared to tell the others when she saw the rushing form of Ryo running out toward the cave exit.

"Ryo, wait!"

But the hotheaded Ronin paid no heed as he quickly rushed out of the cave where Whiteblaze lay at the mouth. Seeing Ryo rushing up, the white tiger quickly lifted up to his feet and Ryo jumped onto Whiteblaze's back.

"Whiteblaze, let's go!"

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_Nether Realm_

"I am here, master."

In the dark shadows of Nanashi's chamber, a single figure appeared in his midst. The creature was cloaked in long dark robes that seemed to float around everywhere like a living tendrils and the base of his hands shimmered in the darkness with something like steel. The eyes of Nanashi's new minion glowed as he bent down on one knee before the Dynasty master.

"What is your wish of me?"

From high above, Nanashi replied. "Sectrus. Demon of the abyss. This one has become unstable. Watch her."

The creature known as Sectrus turned as Nanashi revealed to him the one he spoke of. On the visual image, he was soon introduced to his target.

_Noin of the Phoenix..._

Nanashi finished. "If she turns, terminate her."

"Yes master."

As Sectrus vanished away to take care of his task, Nanashi stared as the image of his fiery Celestial. For a long time now, he had noticed that Phoenix had been acting strangely. Since the start, she behaved differently from the other two Celestials as well as the Warlords. Granted, she was loyal to him, but only because of Arctic's presence it seemed. And if that wasn't enough, he noticed the frequent times she would grab her head in seeming pain. It was clear that Nanashi's power over her was unstable, And even with his increased force of Warlords, he couldn't allow her to break free and turn against him.

Best to eliminate her beforehand...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the forest, the troop of Dynasty soldiers slowly advanced upon the settled _Sunstreamer_. Several of the soldiers were down; a result of the laser fire from the ship. But then all the systems went dead and the crew was now left defenseless to the horde.

Until now...

"Hey, boneheads! Why don't you try that with me?"

No sooner did the advancing force turn to the source of the voice than did they find themselves assaulted by two descending forms from above. Ryo and Whiteblaze smashed down the first set of soldiers and then charged into the thick of the rest in a full-on attack.

"Haaaa!"

With the element of surprise on their side, Whiteblaze and Ryo manage to fight through a good portion of the Dynasty soldiers before they could actually try to fight back. And that made little difference to either Ryo or Whiteblaze as they continued to fight, clearing them away from the _Sunstreamer_ until they had all fallen.

"I hope you'll excuse the pun, but how did you like the warm up, Wildfire?"

Ryo's eyes widened and he turned back to see the sole figure of Lady Shiva standing atop the spacecraft. Her arms were lightly draped across her waist as if she had been watching the entire fight like it was a movie.

"Shiva! What are you doing here?"

"Well I was just in the neighborhood and I heard that there were some pests that needed to be taken care of. And since I have yet to test my new toy on anyone, I figured I'd drop by and deal with it."

With that, Shiva reached back and pulled out her signature weapon. Correction, signature _weapons_, for in both her hands were the complete set of the Starlight Swords. Both weapons sparkled in the hands of their dark owner.

"The second Starlight Sword?" His wide eyes turned into a deep glare. "What have you done to Mia?"

"In a few minutes, that won't even be an issue. So come Wildfire." The swords were spun around her fingers as she assumed her battle stance. "Let's dance!"

Ryo was only happy to oblige. _"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"_

The swirls of cloths soared up and around, shattering into blossom petal and enshrouding the warrior in his fiery armor. Unsheathing his twin katana, Ryo prepared to fight.

Perhaps a losing fight...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trieze of the Cyclone stood in another one of the chambers within Nanashi's dark citadel. His eyes held a permanent gaze upon his daughter, Mariemaia, who was unconscious and hovering in the air before him. A faint glow was emanating around her while she floated; its source coming from the Jewel of Light that remained around her neck.

"You have done well, my little one."

Trieze smiled at his resting daughter. She had done a great service for Nanashi in the last battle. Though it failed to completely destroy the Ronins and the Celestials, the power surge had disbanded them and allowed an opening for the Warlords to come under Nanashi's control. All they had to do now was find the Ronins, the remaining Celestials and with Nanashi's influence, all will be theirs. Placing a hand on her forehead, the Celestial whispered to her.

"Sleep...for now."

-------------------------------------

_'I think I'm having deja vu.'_

These were Ryo's thoughts as he fought against Nanashi's dark avatar. And just as he thought, this fight was turning out to be the same as when he first faced Lady Kayara in battle when she was Talpa's servant. Despite his valiant efforts, Ryo was simply no match for her speed and he was on a now crumbling defensive against her attacks with both the Starlight Swords.

In a word, _one-sided_... (Okay, two words)

After an aerial clash that resulted in Shiva kicking him into and through a nearby tree, Ryo strained as he arose from the ground, just as Shiva landed neatly on the ground opposite of him, her back now facing him.

"So... this is all the great Wildfire has to offer, huh?" she chuckled lightly. "With all I heard about you, I thought you would last at least a little longer than this." She tilted her head to the side. "Was I expecting too much?"

Growling, Ryo immediately rose up on his feet and charged at Shiva. The dark warrioress wheeled around to deflect his incoming slash and brought her second blade in to counter. Ryo blocked it and pushed her back, but she only flipped away without any hint that he had done anything. Ryo began to charge again, but Shiva arched her blades back and lashed them out, sending a beam of mist-like energy that blasted Ryo. The Ronin managed to stay on his feet, but he then witnessed a swift by a blur of motion followed by searing pain across his body as Shiva rushed past him and slashed him across the chest, causing him to twirl around and fall to his hands and knees.

"I know that I was a queen once, but to bow down to me?" she taunted tilting her head slightly just to see him. "I think that's a little much."

Ryo growled again, but was unable to rise up much. She had him outmatched in speed and her power was staggering. At that point, Whiteblaze came up beside him for support, but Shiva seemed unconcerned with his presence and she turned around fully.

"Well, I'm bored." Lifting her blades, she crossed them in the air and the glowed in deadly light. "Might as well call it a day."

_**"Quake With Fear!"**_

Shiva's head snapped back as a crimson chain flew out of the forest and toward her. Almost in the same moment, Ryo grabbed hold of Whiteblaze and the tiger leapt away. Unfortunately, Shiva had dodged as well; the chain missing her by mere inches. The chains smashed into the ground an in an eruption, multiply into more, all of which were coming after Shiva. But the dark avatar simply jumped around the flying chains effortlessly until she flew clear of them and toward the source.

"Kayura! Well, now this will make things easier."

Diving down, Shiva aimed a kick the armored priestess. Kayura, who was pulling out her attack, had just dodged the attack and deflected the incoming swords after Shiva had landed. 'She has both swords?' Hitting the ground herself, she landed near Ryo and Whiteblaze.

"Are you alright, Wildfire?"

"I'm not sure." the Ronin moaned. "She's just like you were. Very brutal."

_'That's what I was afraid of'_, Kayura thought as she faced down Shiva. In addition to what Anubis had told her about the past, she was awakened to one of the Starlight Swords powers. The ability to memorize the fighting abilities of those who wield it. It had started from its enchantment as a weapon for those who would protect the armors and had gained strength ever since. Because of this, Kayura, who was already a formidable warrior, became nearly unstoppable when she held the blades, with only the Inferno armor and the Ancient's staff capable of stopping her. Even though both Relena and Mia had no such battle skills themselves, the swords gave the required abilities and as such, they had the combined abilities of all those who held the swords before.

And now Shiva had both the swords...

"Two for the price of one!" Shiva smiled beneath the mask. Wind began to whip around them suddenly and Kayura's eyes widened, as she knew what was coming. Water bubbled beneath Shiva and began to swirl around her as she called forth the Starlight Swords most devastating power.

_**"Let the heavens cry out! Star Sword Scream!"**_

In the skies above, the familiar twinkle of the stars came forth and unleashed a torrent of power upon the three. Shiva watched as the energy struck down and exploded in a pillar of energy, engulfing everything before her. But if she thought she had destroyed them, then she was in for a shock, for as the dust and light settled away, she was greeted by the group...still alive!

"What?!"

The trio had been sheltered behind a translucent energy field, which protected them from Shiva's attack. But more than that, they had company. Standing before them and holding the Staff of the Ancients up to create the shield was the Preventor commander herself.

"Lady Une?" Kayura whispered.

Also, at her feet was the form of another, who appeared to be unconscious, someone Ryo recognized immediately

"Mia!"

Ryo moved over to her as Une lowered the shield. Shiva stared back at her and it seemed that they would now come to blows. But then Shiva lowered the sword and shrugged.

"Well, this will displease Nanashi greatly. But at least things will be interesting." A dense mist arose, enshrouding her in it and taking her form out of view.

"Count on meeting me again, Lady Une."


	56. Chapter 55

Disclaimer: See previous chapter

-

Chap. 64

-

Sunstreamer 

In the medical ward on the ship, Sally Po checked in on her newest patients, Mia and Ryo. Sally smiled briefly at seeing Ryo; checking up on him was becoming a common habit. Common also was the white tiger that lay beside the boy and that despite the damage and injuries he took from the fight, he would only need a little rest to recover.

Mia, however, may be another story...

Outside, the rest of the group stood near the entrance of the ward. Une, still holding the Staff of the Ancients, stood in the center while everyone else sat around her, save for Kayura, who stood on the opposite end keeping an inqusite eye on Une. Une noticed this as well as the other questions in the eyes of the others. Sufficient to say, she had some explaining to do.

"I don't even know where to start."

"A good start would be during the battle, when we were separated." Kayura stated.

Une nodded. "That would be the place to start."

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The skies were literally in turmoil as the powers of Nova and Inferno collided against each other with fury. On the grounds below, Yuli was watching the chaotic scene above him while Sally and Une had their eyes locked on the battle between Mia and Shiva. They witnessed Mia's near victory as well as Dorothy's interference and finally Shiva's claim to the second Starlight Sword.

And then the shockwave of the Star Sword Scream came...

A wave of crimson energy blew up the very ground beneath them, hurling the three backward. Une was the first to recover and rise up and it was there that she saw the unconscious body of Kayura. Une strained as she moved over to her and placed her hands on Kayura's back.

"Kayura. Wake up."

The warrior priestess made no response, but it was then that her armor began to flash in bright yellow light. Kayura's body began to lift off the ground as her armor made ready to return to its resting-place. Une grabbed hold of her arm as she lifted up, but wasn't able to stop her from ascending further. Just as when it would seem that Kayura would leave her grip completely, Une's hand fell upon the Staff, which was still gripped in Kayura's hand.

_'Stop!'_

Much to her surprise, Kayura stopped ascending and fell right into her arms. With a grunt, Une carried the unconscious warrior, as flares of lights soared across the skies; the Ronin and the Celestial armors returning to their locations of birth along with their bearers. To her relief, Blackblaze had came up to her, allowing Une to settle Kayura on the back of the armored tiger. Turning back, she soon sighted the fallen Mia in the distance. Looking back at Blackblaze for a minute, she ordered the tiger.

"Find the others and get them out of here."

The tiger seemed to nod at this and strode away with Kayura on his back. Une started toward Mia, but paused when she realized she was holding the Staff of the Ancients in her hand. _'When did that happen?'_ She dismissed the thought and continued toward Mia. Upon reaching her, she checked her over. So far, there were serious injuries on her, but nothing life threatening, as far as she could tell. That surprised Une, given that Mia was blasted by the Star Sword Scream. This brought up a danger to her mind, as the dark warrioress could still be around, along with rest of the Dynasty.

_'I have to get her out of here now.'_

Lifting Mia on her shoulders, Une set out to the citadel wall in search for the gate...

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"I was able to find a gateway out, but it wasn't the same gate we entered into. I wound up lost in the Netherrealm with Mia, with Dynasty soldiers looking for us. I was able to rest in a cave for a while, but Mia was hurt quite badly."

"Then what?" Yuli asked, his voice growing excited upon hearing the story.

"Then...I'm not sure how to describe it." She then held up the golden staff. "But I'm sure this had something to do with it."

"What do you mean?"

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Within a shallow cave in the Netherrealm, Une kept an eye on an unconscious Mia. She knew they couldn't stay there for long. Though Mia had regained consciousness a few times, she was still hurt from her battle with Shiva. And they were still in the Netherrealm; still in Dynasty territory. And she was certain they were searching for them. With no way to escape the Netherrealm, her only chance lay in the hope that the Ronins or the Celestials would return. But she couldn't wait in this cave. They had to keep moving if they were to evade the Dynasty.

Rising up, Une cautiously made her way to the mouth of the cave. The Staff of the Ancients was still in her hand, in case she had to fight. She found it strange, but holding it made her feel comfortable; at least as far as the situation went. In a world unknown to her, at least she wasn't defenseless and she fought in wars where at times, having one weapon meant survival.

Reaching the cave mouth, she searched around, looking for anything that could be trouble. There wasn't anything in sight upon the twisted terrain, at least nothing she could detect. Drawing back into the cave, she lowered down to pick up Mia. Placing her body on her shoulder, Une returned to the cave entrance and departed out into open terrain. Since she had no real direction to go, the only option was to move as far away from the Nanashi's stronghold as possible. From where she was, the citadel was still in view, although a distance away. Hopefully, she and Mia would stay alive and out of trouble.

Unfortunately...

She had only made it half a mile from the cave when the fog came in around her, the usual sign of the Dynasty's presence. Une frowned as it came, for she had hoped to find another place to hide before anything happened. The dense mist soon surrounded her and Dynasty soldiers soon emerged from it. Seeing that running was out of the question and there was no place to hide, Une settled Mia down on the ground and held the staff in both hands.

_'I never thought I would actually have to fight like this.'_

The soldiers stopped briefly, fearing the power of the Staff of the Ancients. But seeing that the wielder wasn't Kayura, the soulless creatures continued on, leveling their weapons toward her. Une kept her eyes moving, waiting for them to make their move. Logically, she knew she was in a lot of trouble. She's seen situation like this more than enough times. Hell, as a former OZ commander, she had created situations like this against upon her enemies. But strangely enough, she felt no fear or worry. And it was more than just her dealing with it as a soldier. For some reason, the Dynasty soldiers did not worry her at all.

And the chimes began to ring...

This went unnoticed both by her and the soldiers set to attack. The first one leapt, spear in hand ready to impale her. But in a split second, the soldier was smacked aside and sent hurling through the air. Une's eyes widened; she hadn't realized that she even moved. She was so surprised by this that she didn't see the two soldiers charging at her from behind.

But she did feel it...

This time, she wasn't completely surprised when she made her move, whirling around and extending the staff to hit both minions in mid-air. What surprised her was the fact that she knew what she was going to do before she even realized it. In was then that she noticed the chiming of the staff, only...it seemed more like it was...speaking to her...?

_Chrriiinnnnggg..._

Une pulled the staff back and stabbed it into the floor, with her eyes closing. Seeing the weapon lowered, the soldiers decided on an all-out attack and they all charged. But Une didn't react, the chime of the staff gaining her full attention now. The soldiers soon came close when Une's eyes snapped open and she raised the staff into the air. The weapon glowed brightly and a translucent field surrounded both her and Mia. The Dynasty soldiers were instantly vaporized upon contact with the field. Within, Une was in a trance, seeing nothing beyond the energy field, except for a faint trace of blossom petals.

And the image of a white-haired figure...

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"When the field dropped, I was with all of you, back on Earth."

Kayura had paid special attention to the latte part of her tale. Her use of the Staff of the Ancients was truly remarkable. The only ones she knew to use the staff in such a manner were the Ancient One (when alive), Anubis, and her. And the vision...

_'Could she be...what he meant?'_

It was at that point that Sally Po exited from the medical room. The group turned to her, wanting to know the condition of Ryo and Mia.

"How are they?" Une asked.

"Well, Ryo's banged up pretty hard, but it's nothing he hasn't recovered from before." She answered with a sigh. With a light smile, she continued. "He'll be up and about in no time."

"And Mia?"

Her smile faded away at this question. "Well, her condition is a little more serious. I've treated her wounds, but she seems to have sustained some head trauma. Right now, all I can offer her is rest, but I'll need better equipment before I could do anything more."

"We must also begin our search for the chosen armors." Kayura interjected. "Dune, Phoenix and Crystal must be brought to the Sacred Pool before Nanashi grows too powerful to stop."

"Any ideas on where?" Yuli asked.

Kayura's eyes lowered in memory. "Anubis left me a clue. A new poem that relates to the three."

_Star of the night, comet of fire,_

_Let faith be the spark of your pyre _

Sally folded her arms (a steadily increasing habit) in thought. "Hmm. Faith is the symbol of the armor of Phoenix, right? That would be Noin."

"Well, she's out of the question." Une replied. "Since she's still active, we can't reach her."

"No. And we aren't strong enough to face her right now. We better focus on the other two." That said, Kayura then recalled the second verse of the poem.

_Soul's heart of heavenly delight_

_Hope be found in the sands of the night_

Sally smiled at this. "That's Quatre all over. But what does it mean, sands of the night?"

No response came from any of the group. The verse was too open to interpretation. _'We could use Mia's help right now'_ thought Yuli, remembering how the young woman had solved the poem of the Ronin Warriors. When the silence hung for a minute, Kayura simply spoke the third verse.

_Above the tower of snow and Rhine_

_Between heaven and earth, love burns divine_

"Hmm." This time, Une was able to think up an interpretation. "That sound's like... a mountain."

"A tower of snow and rhine... Between heaven and earth..." Howard repeated. "Sounds like a really tall mountain.

"Hold on." Sally exclaimed. "The tallest mountain in the world is Mt. Everest. You think she would be up there?"

Une looked over at the medical Preventor. "It's the best lead we have. I say we try."

"But it's crazy." Howard interjected. "That's a good 29,000 feet. It's dangerous to climb up to the top."

"Can't we just fly up in the ship?" Yuli suggested.

Howard shook his head. "Doesn't work that way, kid. Everest is too high up. Ships can only fly on the Earth at medium altitudes. The only reason for a ship to go that high is if it was going into outer space and that wouldn't work since boosters can only shoot you into orbit."

"How about...a mobile suit?"

This came from Une and at the sound of it, Sally raised her eyes. Howard placed a thoughtful hand on his bearded chin.

"Well, that could work. But it would have to be a strong suit to withstand the pressure of the high altitudes."

Sally grinned, already knowing just what Une was suggesting. "The Tallgeese."

"Then I guess there's a chance after all." With that said, Howard moved over to the intercom and signaled the bridge for their next destination.

"Set course for Preventor headquarters right away."


	57. Chapter 56

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 65

-

_Preventor HQ_

"I hope you have an explanation for everything that's been going on, Commander Une."

Lady Une sat in her office as she addressed president of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation through the viewscreen communicator. She and the others had returned just a few hours ago where she found the headquarters in near chaos. Many of the officers, especially the lieutenant she left in charge, were grateful for her return and hoped that the situation would be settled. Une had already ordered the Preventors to get to work on her trip into the Himalayas, but before she could, she had to informed the strained president of the situation. Unfortunately, her report wouldn't be likely to help things.

"Sir. I'm afraid the situation is more perilous than you think. I am unable to explain it in full detail, but suffice to say the entire Earth Sphere faces invasion."

"Invasion? From whom?"

"From the same forces that mysteriously invaded Tokyo years ago. I believe you have already received the report of that from my lieutenant."

Une was glad for the research that her subordinate had gathered in her absence. It saved her the trouble of being too vague about the Netherrealm menace, even though the president still didn't understand the full scope of it. And it wasn't something she could outright tell him, not without appearing as though she had lost her mind.

"Are you saying that that incident is somehow connected with these current events?"

"Yes." she answered immediately. "And I can promise you that things will get worse unless we act."

The man settled back in his seat. "You have a course of action?"

"Yes sir. I will be leading an expedition in order to combat the invasion. Hopefully, we'll be able to stop them and free the captive colonies and the citizens. Until then, it might be wise to have the remaining colonies move closer to Earth. It will delay the invaders from taking any more of them captive."

"I'll see what I can do." he nodded. "But I'll expect more information regarding these invaders, whoever they are, as soon as possible." He folded his hands together. "When do you expect for this situation to be resolved?"

"I can not say." She then added determinedly. "But me and my team will do everything we can to put out this fire."

"Very well then. I leave it up to you."

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_Sunstreamer_

In the medical bay of the cruiser ship, fully awake and revived, the Ronin of Wildfire sat beside the resting form of Mia. Beside him, Whiteblaze nuzzled her hand, also keeping watch over her. Petting Whiteblaze briefly, he turned his gaze back on the resting woman. It had just occurred to him the he never seen Mia like this. If anything, it was the other way around, as Mia would be the one to look after him while he recovered from a fight. Seeing her this way, she seemed so vulnerable and fragile. Yet he knew she was stronger than she appeared. And her intelligence was without question. Without her, Talpa would have destroyed the Ronin Warriors long ago. Hidden strength, intelligence...beauty...

_"You don't hide your feelings well, Ryo."_

Sally's words came back into his mind and he began to reflect on them. Was he really so obvious? It didn't seem so to him. And the others certainly never mentioned it around him. While he was pondering this and other things, the person in thought slowly revived.

"Ryo?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ryo smiled upon seeing the woman awaken before him. Mia attempted to rise, but both the pain of her body and the hand of fiery Ronin prevented her from rising fully.

"Don't. You still need to rest."

Mia settled back down without argument, feeling the weariness of her body taking its toll on her. As she rested on the bed, she questioned Ryo what happened while she was knocked out. All she remembered was the fight with Lady Shiva and the brief moments when she regained consciousness in the Netherrealm with Lady Une. Ryo helped filled in the blanks, telling her of the separation of the armors (again), Kayura's discovery of the Sacred Cave and the new mission to find the armors of purity.

It took Mia a good minute to take all this in. Even now, she felt the absence of the Starlight Sword from her hand, which was now in the hands of the enemy. 'I guess...I wasn't strong enough after all.' Sighing inwardly, she looked up at Ryo and then spoke.

"Well, this is certainly a switch, isn't it, Ryo?"

"What is?"

She smiled lightly. "Normally, you're the one in the bed and I'm the one looking over you."

Returning the smile, Ryo nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking the same thing."

However, Mia noticed that his smile didn't seemed to match the expression of his eyes. "Is something wrong, Ryo?"

"Oh, it's nothing..." he answered, glancing away at that moment. It was a moment Mia didn't miss however.

"Ryo... I know you better than that." Lifting her hand, she tenderly grasped hold of his. "Please, what is it?"

She watched as his eyes lowered and his face became downcast. "I...I can't help feeling what happened to you was my fault."

"Ryo, you can't blame yourself for this." It seems that even though their positions had changed, the general feelings had not. This wasn't the first time Ryo blamed himself for such situations. "You couldn't help what happened."

"Yeah, but still... I promised myself that I would protect you. But you wound up getting hurt."

Mia had missed the last sentence he said, as her mind seemed focused on what he said first. "You...promised...that?"

At that moment, Howard entered the medical room and called to the Ronin. "Hey Ryo. Everybody's waiting. We have to get going."

"Oh, okay." Rising up, Ryo looked down at the resting woman. "I'll come back later, Mia. You get some rest in the meantime."

"I will."

At it was then, at the moment that he departed, that their hands finally separated...

------------------------------------------------------

In the lower portion of Preventor HQ, the team had gathered in the assembly room. Already Une, Sally, Kayura and Yuli were seated around a large round table, waiting for Ryo and Howard to show up. The two finally entered the meeting room and Lady Une stood up and addressed them all.

"Okay, now that everyone's here, we can begin." Reaching down, Une activated the mapping image on the table, showing a 3D image of Mt. Everest along with the surrounding rock-masses.

"Our mission is to reach the summit of Mount Everest and revive Hilde of the Crystal. We'll take a transport and settle on the western peak, the closest we can get. Once there, we'll take the Tallgeese up to the summit and find her."

Sally took note of Une's wording. "Are you going up there yourself, Commander?"

"Yes." Une answered. "I have more experience with piloting a mobile suit. I will be able to deal with any problems that may come up. Even with a suit like the Tallgeese."

"And who else is going with you?"

At this, Kayura spoke. "I will, in case the Dynasty decides to confront us there."

"I could go instead, Kayura." Ryo inserted.

The priestess shook her head. "That would be unwise, Wildfire. For one thing, you are still recovering from your injuries from the previous battle with Shiva." Before Ryo was about to remind her about the damage she took from the same battle, Kayura continued. "And your armor would lose strength amid the cold weather. If we are attacked, you would be vulnerable."

At this, Ryo kept silent, knowing what she said was true. It wouldn't be as bad as being submerged in water, but the cold temperature would reduce the strength of his armor. That plus the fact that he was still recovering would make it a very dangerous situation to be in, especially atop the world's tallest mountain.

"Don't worry about it, Ryo." Howard assured him with a hand to the shoulder. "Kayura and Une can handle whatever comes up."

Kayura nodded in agreement, but grimly thought, _'I just hope we aren't too late.'_

-----------

Outside the structure and standing on top of a hill a distance away, a familiar presence watched the new activity of the Preventors. Despite their previous defeat at the hands of the Dynasty, they still moved as though they could do anything to stop Nanashi's coming. But it was futile. Their building was still damaged from the last assault of the Dynasty, which was led by Lady Shiva.

His sister...

Zechs of the Arctic gazed down at the scene without emotion; his former allies were of no consequence to him now. It would be an easy task to just strike them down now while they were preoccupied, but there was no need to rush. Already, he had learned that the escapees were planning to journey to the Himalayian territory. That meant that they must have learned of the location of one of the Celestials. That also meant that he had a chance to call another to Nanashi's side and increase their forces. And it would also mean eliminating his enemies as well.

Two for the price of one...

With this in mind, Arctic watched as a massive transport soared in toward the complex. They were preparing to leave. That was good. The sooner they left, the sooner he could follow them.

And crush them once and for all...


	58. Chapter 57

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 66

-

_Himalayas_

The Preventor transport soared over the jagged terrain of the Himalayan Mountains toward its designated location, a mid-level area that wasn't as treacherous as the rest as the area. As the transport began to settle, inside the ship, Une was already settled within the Tallgeese, with her hands lightly settled on the controls. The feel of the controls in her grasp felt strange, yet still familiar. In a world where mobile suits were all but extinct, the use of one was scarce. The last time Lady Une piloted one was during the Eve Wars when she piloted the Wing Gundam to save Trieze from the Libra's beam cannon.

And now she was fighting against him...

The cockpit of the Tallgeese was altered slightly, with the left side having an open space for Kayura to stay in without interfering with Une's piloting. Which would be good for Une considering the machine she would be piloting. Though it would be used only as a transport, the Tallgeese was a difficult suit to use. Even with Une's expert skills with a mobile suit, she wouldn't be able to use the Tallgeese to its full limit. Only one person has ever truly mastered this machine.

And he was on the side of darkness...

Une shook her head, clearing out the negative thoughts. She had a mission to carry out and she needed to be focused. It was then that Kayura came toward the cockpit and entered in, moving to the side space that was made for her. The Staff, surprising, fit in neatly beside her as she took hold of a metal handle, the only thing that would keep her from being tossed about when the Tallgeese began to move.

"Ready?"

Kayura didn't respond immediately and Une turned around out to see the priestess examining her surrounding. It was then that Une realized that this was the first time Kayura had actually seen and been inside a mobile suit. Kayura had been raised in the Dynasty and afterward, remained at the gateway as guardian along with the other three Warlords. As a result, she had little contact with the mortal realm, much less the technology of mobile suits

Une smiled mentally at this, somewhat proud that the first suit Kayura had seen was something as manificent as the Tallgeese. Since seeing it at Preventor headquarters, Kayura had been seen staring up at the machine a couple of times, something Une also remembered at this point. A good suit for a first impression.

"Kayura?"

"Oh. I'm sorry." Kayura replied, somewhat embarrassed (Another first for her). "Yes. I am ready."

With that, Une closed the hatch of the mobile suit and activated it. The emerald visor of the Tallgeese shimmered and the white machine marched toward exit of the transport. The doors soon opened, introducing it to the frigid weather outside. Those who were watching from the sidelines backed away a bit from the cold as the boosters of the Tallgeese flared to life and blasted the machine outside.

_'Gh!'_

Une grimaced as she found herself immediately fighting with the controls of the Tallgeese. _'Guess I've gotten a little rusty after all'_ she thought as she worked to rein in the machine. The Tallgeese continued to fly powerfully, albeit unsteadly, alongside the icy slopes of the mountain, soon settling on an outcroping on the side of the mountain. The two within gazed upward, seeing the distance from there to the summit.

"This is going to take some time." Une muttered.

Just then, a faint light glowed within the cockpit. Une and Kayura turned to see the Staff shimmering lightly, giving off a faint illumination. Kayura looked forward and back at the mountain.

"She's there."

Une nodded in agreement and turned back as well. "Then we better hurry."

And so, the boosters of the Tallgeese flared again...

----------------

"Ryo? I thought you left with the others."

"No. I..." Ryo paused for a moment and then continued. "I figured I'd stay behind and watch over things here. Besides, Kayura can handle things."

"Oh." That alone told her that he wasn't telling the entire truth, but she decided to leave it alone for now. "Is Yuli still around?"

"Yeah. He and Whiteblaze are on the lower level. The kid's still staring at that other white mobile suit." His eyes glazed down to the computer. "What are you doing?"

Mia turned back to her computer. "I'm updating my grandfather's database. Since all of this started, I thought it best if I added my own file on the armors as well as everything else we discovered since all of this started. It might be useful for future reference."

"That's a good idea." he replied. But his words were a little off and Mia turned to see the distant look in his eyes.

"Ryo? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well..." Ryo turned his head to the side and his hands began to clench. "I just don't like sitting around while everyone else is..."

Suddenly, Ryo punched the wall in frustration, his face low and contorting with the same emotion. Mia watched him in worry and concern, but was hardly surprised by his actions. His temper was one of the things he was well known for. She just had to wait and let him get his emotions out.

"I just hate feeling so useless. The guys are all lost and I can't do anything to help them now."

Mia remained silent for a minute longer, letting his words sink in. Then she slowly turned around, closed her labtop and stood up, turning to Ryo once again.

"That's not true. We _are_ going to do something."

Lifting his head up, Ryo turned to her in surprise. "Huh?"

"We know where the Ronins are." Mia said, placing her free hand on his shoulder. "We can go find them."

"Really?" In truth, Ryo wasn't sure he was hearing her correctly. Though a brave woman, she had never been one for action. At least, not until her encounter with the Starlight Sword. "Are you sure, Mia?"

"Yes. Since we already tracked them down once, it will be quicker if we do it now. And... I don't like sitting around doing nothing either." Her face brightened into a smile. "Besides, it will be just like old times."

"Yeah." The Ronin soon smiled as well. "Yeah! I'll get Yuli and Whiteblaze."

"Good."

------------------

The Tallgeese continued to ascend upon the mountain, with Une and Kayura inside. Despite the frigid conditions on the outside, the two within the white behemoth were unaffected as mobile suits were made to withstand the coldness of space. The Tallgeese soon came close to the very summit of the mountain and settled for a moment.

"We're here, but I'm not picking up any energy readings." Une commented after scanning the area.

Kayura looked back at the Staff, which was still shimmering with light. Something had to be there for it to be reacting this way. Une knew this as well, but where exactly was another story.

"I'll have to search by foot." the priestess declared.

Une was about to protest about her entering that kind of environment, but then remembered the abilities of the mystical armor. If such a power could sustain her in the void of outer space, then the harsh climate of the high altitude should be cakewalk. Nodding in approval, Une made ready to open the hatch when one of the alarms rang.

"Wait. Something's wrong." She checked the system and found that the lower systems were freezing up, something that shouldn't be happening. Switching the screen to an alternate view, she was soon surprised by what she saw.

"What?"

Kayura looked at the same scene, but hers was a grim face. The screen showed the lower portion of the Tallgeese, being flash frozen in ice. That was _definenetly_ not supposed to be happening. And the reason for it was even worse.

"The Dynasty."

True to her words, on a level area of the mountain, a solitary figure stood gazing up at the Tallgeese. As the mobile suit continued to freeze, the figure spoke to those within.

"To use the Tallgeese in your efforts, that I can no longer allow."

"Zechs!"

The Tallgeese continued to freeze, its legs now almost completely covered in ice and now beginning to reach up to the waist. In a matter of seconds, it would reach the midsection and they will freeze along with it. Realizing this, Kayura quickly moved to the front of cockpit and opened the hatch.

"Keep searching for Crystal. I'll draw him away."

Une didn't get a chance to respond as Kayura leaped out of the cockpit, whirling the weighed chain of her kusuri-gama and launching it at Arctic. Arctic quickly reared back his weapon and slapped it away, but had to jump back as Kayura came close and slashed at him with the sickle end. Landing on the rocks above, Arctic glared down at the warrior priestess.

"You are bold, Lady Kayura. But also foolish to face me on my own terrain."

Kayura didn't respond, yet the truth of his words stung true. In this terrain, his armor must be super-powered right now. That plus his record of being a ruthless fighting didn't help her chances any. Still, she would fight him. She just had to hold him off long enough for Une to find and revive Hilde.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Meanwhile in the partially frozen Tallgeese, Une continued to search her Hilde through the scanners of the mobile suit and so far, she had been less than successful. Meanwhile, she could hear the sounds of battle echoing from outside the machine.

Pausing, she soon turned to the still glowing Staff of the Ancients and then remembered when it first reacted. Releasing the controls, she took hold of the Staff and felt as though she was undergoing a trance. Opening the cockpit hatch, she faced the deadly cold of the outside, yet it did not seem to affect her. Due to the trance, she was unaware of the bubble of energy surrounding her, nor the fact that she was slowly levitating down toward the mountain.

All she was aware of...was the Celestial beneath the mountain...

Back at the battle, Kayura and Arctic continued their fight along the steep slopes of the mountainside. As Kayura had feared, Arctic was much more powerful here amid the cold. But it seemed to be more than just the element augmenting in strength. There seemed to be real effort of training seen in his fighting as well. That didn't help her chances any. But even still, she had to hold him off for as long as possible.

"Haaaaa!"

This time, it was Arctic's turn to dive in at her from above, leaping from the mountain edge with his saber slicing through the air. Kayura took a defensive posuture and held her chains up to defend. But the moment his weapon clashed with hers, the ground beneath her shattered, causing both to plumment off the side of the mountain.

_'Ah!'_

Rotating around, Kayura whirled the weight of the chain and hurled it back toward the mountain. The weight slammed deep within and Kayura swung back toward and soon upward into the air, flipping through and landing back on the steep edge.

Where Arctic awaited...

"Rhaaah!"

From seemingly out of nowhere, Arctic swooped in with a huge slash coming in on Kayura. On reflex, Kayura lifted her blade to defend and managed to block the incoming slash. But once again, the force of the attack caught Kayura, knocking her backward through the air. Kayura allowed her body to fly through the air briefly and then reached out and grabbed hold of a outcropping of rock. Looking up, she was shocked to see Arctic rushing across the mountainside toward her. Moving fast, Kayura kicked off the side and high into the air, whirling her weapon at full speed.

_**"Quake with Fear!"**_

With the power of crimson lightning, Kayura whirled her attack at her opponent, who stopped upon seeing it. But instead of retreating or taking a defensive stance, Arctic reared his own weapon back, the blade of ice bristling with the same cold energy as the surrounding envirnoment.

_**"Winter's Heart!"**_

Slashing forward, Arctic unleashed his own power into the air toward Kayura. The two attacks collided in such force that it knocked Kayura backward once again. The time, she was in no danger of falling off the side of the mountain and landed safely on the icy slope. But now her power was dangerously weakened. And even worse, from out of the frosty mist created from the collision, Arctic made his way toward her, not seeming to have been weakened at all.

"It's over."

Despite her position, Kayura stood bravely against him, showing no signs of weakness and ready to continue the fight. Arctic continued to advance on her, his battle-glare remaining upon her as he came closer.

And then it happened...

Kayura's eyes widened and Arctic was forced to turn around as a flash of light beamed out of from the peak of the mountain. The two watched as an object arose out of the light and ice shattered into the air. Both combatants soon realized what they were witnessing, with different feelings.

The awakening of the Celestial of the Crystal...

The light soon diminished and Hilde lowered down on the mountain. Her mask was enclosed over her face; a sign of her powers being at its fullest. However, she didn't seem to be conscious at the moment. Arctic didn't waste time in turning around and charging at her. In her current state, she was most vulnerable and he couldn't risk her reviving and joining Kayura in the fight. Therefore, there was only one option left.

Elimination...

Kayura immediately saw what he had planned to do, but she was too weak to try and stop him. But she didn't have to. As Arctic closed in, he was soon stopped by another sphere of light blocking his path. A light that shone upon the armor of Crystal and allowing the bearer within to revive.

The Staff of the Ancients...held by Lady Une...

Hilde arose beside Une and unsheathed her blades, readying to fight against the dark Celestial. Meanwhile, Arctic remained in place, considering his situation. Facing Crystal in battle didn't worry him so much, even with her augmented power. He had the same advantage, plus he was a stronger warrior. But he had used up much of his strength fighting Kayura. And he would also have to face Une and he didn't even understand what he was seeing. Too many variables, only one solution...

Retreat...

As much as he hated to do so, he knew he didn't have a choice. Backing away, Arctic suddenly leaped off the side of the mountain and plummet down into the clouds below. Kayura looked over the side, but knew that he had to retreat now that the odds were against him. He would be back though, when another opportunity presented itself. Looking back at the mountaintop, Kayura glanced at Une and Hilde, but her focus was on Une. The Staff continued to illuminate in her grasp, but Kayura was only half-amazed by it. Everything that had happened has only confirmed what she had suspected.

_'There's no question about it. She is the one.'_


	59. Chapter 58

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

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Chap. 67

-

_Preventor HQ_

"They what?"

Une and her team had just returned from the Himalayan territory to Preventor headquarters, where they discovered that Ryo, Yuli, Mia and Whiteblaze had left in order to find the remaining Ronin Warriors. Despite being told that there a GPS on their jeep so that they could know where they were located, Une wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that they took off and left.

Howard shrugged at this news. "Guess it can't be helped."

"True." Sally agreed. "And I suppose they can't get into any more trouble in their search."

Une wasn't buying it though. "Still, it dangerous for them to seperate themselves from us."

"Don't worry." Kayura interjected. "They have done this before on their own. I'm sure they can do it again. Plus, it would best for them to reach the Ronins before the Dynasty does."

With a heavy mental sigh, Une relented. "We don't have of a choice anyway. We don't have the time right now to track them down anyway. We still have to find Quatre."

At this, the aide that informed Une spoke in. "Oh, Commander. Ms. Koji left this for you." She handed her a small disc. "She said it might help you out."

"What is it?" Hilde questioned as Une put it in her computer and opened it. On the screen came a map of a golden area with green pinpoints scattered across it.

"It's a rough area where she believes the armor of Dune may be located." Une answered. "She seems to have narrowed it down to this place."

Sally came around to see the map herself. "Well that's a big help. Where exactly?"

"The Sahara Desert."

"You've got to be kidding me." Sally half-exclaimed. "These Celestials sure don't make it easy."

"There's something else." Hilde noticed, reading the text. "It says we have to be there tomorrow night."

"Night... It must have something to do with the verse of the poem." Kayura said, recalling the lines that spoke about the armor of Dune. Sally raised her eyes in amazement.

"Wow. Got to hand it to her, Mia sure got it down quickly."

"I don't know." Howard replied. "This is still a large area. We'll have to spread out just to make sure we don't miss...whatever it is we're supposed to see."

"We'll go in groups then." Une declared. "Each one of us will go with a Preventor unit in order to cover more ground. Our chances will improve that way."

"I doubt the Dynasty will just stand by and allow us to find Quatre though." Hilde added, a bit grimly.

Kayura turned to her. "We don't have a choice. We need Quatre."

Then we better prepare for another trip." Sally replied. Turning to Howard... "The Sahara, then?"

"Yep."

---------------------------------

_The darkest prison sheds the light..._

On the road to the to the stalactite caves, a lone jeep was speeding down, carrying three passengers within on an important mission. Mia was driving at the wheel, with Ryo next to her in the passenger seat, Yuli in the back and Whiteblaze running alongside them. They soon stopped and parked beside the countryside area where they exited the vehicle. The rest of the way would be made by foot, but it wasn't a far distance. Already, Whiteblaze had gone on ahead, with Yuli on his back.

"I have to say, after everything that's happened it feels good to get out to someplace peaceful." Mia said, shuffling her backpack a bit.

"Yeah." Ryo agreed. "I just hope this doesn't turn out like the last time."

"Hey now. No sense in dwelling on the negative." She gives Ryo a glance. "Let's just reach Sage and the others."

"Yeah. You're right, Mia."

Just then, Yuli returned, atop the white tiger. "Hey, guys. We found the cave." He pointed excitedly to the direction they had come from. "It's that way."

"Let's go."

With that, the group walked down the grassland and toward the trees. After a short distance, they arrive at the stalactite caves, where the armor of Halo was created, and where their friend would be resting. The four of them began to move toward the mouth of the cave where Ryo suddenly shouted.

"Look out!"

Whiteblaze jumped away with Yuli while Ryo grabbed hold of Mia and dove across to the other side. And not a moment too soon, for a blaze of fire flew out from behind them and scorched the ground where they had previously stood. Whiteblaze let out a loud growl as the other others recovered to see where the flame had come from.

"You will go no further, Wildfire."

"Phoenix!"

The golden Celestial walked out of the trees and toward Ryo; her jitte letting off a few flickers of fire from the attack she had launched. As Ryo took to his fighting stance, Phoenix immediately attacks, slashing her blade across, coming in close to the Ronin's head. Ryo bounded away as Phoenix readied herself to attack again.

"Ryo." Mia called out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It looks like you guys are going to have to go on without me again."

"No, we can't. The last time you were hurt very badly." Yuli cried.

Mia recalled that time as well. When they first went to search for Sage, they were ambushed by Sekmet, who poisoned Ryo's eyes and blinded for a time. But as before, they couldn't help him. _'If only...I hadn't lost the Starlight Sword...'_

"Yuli, let's go."

"But Mia..."

She turned to the boy, concern in her eyes as well as his. "Remember why we had to leave last time? It was so that we won't get in the way. We have to trust Ryo now and do our part."

"She's right." Ryo added from his vantage point. "Now go on."

Hesitantly, the three turned and dashed into the stalactite cave; leave Ryo alone to face Phoenix. Although her glance didn't change, Phoenix noted out the three in retreat to Ryo.

"You should have run with them." she sneered. "Although there's no place you could run from Master Nanashi, Ronin."

The fiery Ronin smirked. "Who's running? I'm right here. _**Armor of Wildfire. Tao Jin!**_"

The spiral of mystic cloth surrounded Ryo and exploded, filtering down upon him and forming into the armor of Wildfire. Reaching back, Ryo pulled out his swords and readied himself for battle.

"You think your powers are a match for mine?" As she spoke, thick heat waves emitted from her armor, blurring the air around her. "You weak flame is no match for the inferno of the sun."

"We'll see about that. Haaaa!"

Ryo charged full force and slashed at her with both blades. Crossing her own, she blocked the weapons. This caused the ground around them to suddenly scorch and the grass to wither to a crisp. In a flash, the two combatants broke away and it was Phoenix's turn to attack. Rearing her arm back, she stabbed forward with one of her jitte. Ryo deflected the blow, but at the same moment, Phoenix stabbed her second sword in, grazing his side with a now-burning red blade. Ryo grimaced at the injured and pushed back, separating them once again.

"Do you see, Wildfire? My blade can even scorch your armor."

Ryo was surprised by this. 'Is what she says true?' Ryo had believed that it would be at least an even match, considering that they both possessed the same element. But somehow, her blade was able to mark the armor of Wildfire. Regardless of this, he readied himself again. He just had to buy Mia and Yuli some time so that they can find and release Sage. And despite the injury, he still had the strength to fight her.

"Resistance is futile, but you seem to be one to want to learn that the hard way." Both of Phoenix's blades glowed in red, with wisps of flame encircling them. "Let the lesson begin them."

"Come on."

---------------------------------

_Netherrealm_

The dark halls of Nanashi's citadel would evoke fear and despair in the hearts of even the bravest of men. But for those who served the dark master, such fear didn't exist and despair was what they caused. Such is the case of the one who strode through such a hall, decked in his dark blue sub-armor and with eyes that put the dark hall to shame.

Treize of the Cyclone...

The dark Celestial strode purposely down the corridor, his thoughts on the task Nanashi had given him. Personally, he would have preferred to hunt down the remaining resistance against Nanashi. He had learned of what had happened to his fellow Celestial, Arctic, as well as the Warlords and Shiva. The rebels had not only managed to elude capture/destruction, but they also found and revived one of the missing Celestials. Cyclone would have loved nothing more than to go out and rectify the situation before it posed a real problem. But Nanashi had other plans in mind.

That being what he was working on right now...

Cyclone finally stopped and turned to enter a chamber. Though there were little in lighting, it was enough for him to see in. It was a large chamber, leveling a good couple of feet below him like a pit. From his vantage point, Cyclone could see movement.

Captives from the colonies...

Cyclone watched move about, without the slightest hint of compassion or sympathy. They were just labor to be used for a greater purpose; service to Nanashi. And their reward for such service was the gift of their own existence. Walking across from above, Cyclone examined the project they were working on. To think that he would be working on such a creation again, all for Nanashi's final victory against their opposition. He finally reached the end where he stopped and simply gazed down at his creation. And it gazed back up at him.

Through crystal emerald eyes...

---------------------------------

Within the cave, Mia and Yuli quickly made their way deep in the cave, with Whiteblaze alongside them. Since they knew now where to look, it wasn't too difficult. Flashlight in hand, Mia lowered down to the lower level of the cave and Yuli followed after her.

"Watch your step, Yuli." After he climbed down fully, Mia turned around and aimed her light in the darkened area. "Sage should be down on this level."

Yuli began to follow, but looked up to see that Whiteblaze had not followed them, but was looking in the direction of the cave opening. Turning back to Mia, the boy stopped her. "Mia. I'm worried about Ryo."

"Me too." the woman replied. "But the only way we can help him is by getting Sage." Turning forward again, she beckoned the youth. "We should hurry."

Nodding, Yuli made his way next to Mia and the two of them continued onward, venturing deeper into the cave until they caught sight of a faint glow coming from deep within. Mia turned off the flashlight, knowing the source of the light, as did Yuli.

"Hey. There he is."

The two came up to the source, a rocky pillar in the middle of the cavern. In the core of the pillar was the glowing form of the armor of Halo, with Sage unconscious within. Yuli placed his hands on the pillar.

"How are we going to get him out?"

In answer to that, Mia lowered her backpack to ground, opened it, and pulled out a small hammer and metal pick. Yuli smiled as she handed him the pick.

"It'll take a while, but we should be able to get him out with these."

A sudden flash of light alerted the two before they could get to work. Turning back to the entrance, they found the body of Whiteblaze being flung down the opening. His fur was emitting smoke, but a low growl showed that he was still alive. But they couldn't rejoice about that now, for coming from the entrance above them was the golden Celestial.

"Whiteblaze!" Yuli cried. He began to run to the fallen Whiteblaze, but Mia held him back. Yuli didn't struggle against her hold, but yelled at Phoenix. "Hey, what did you do with Ryo?"

Phoenix slowly moved toward them, practically stalking them. "His fate will be no different than Halo's. As well as yours."

"Not so fast."

Phoenix finally stopped in her steps and turned to see Ryo diving in from behind. Mia and Yuli smiled, glad that he was alive, but their joy was halted upon seeing Ryo's condition. His armor was marked with light glowing slash marks and his face had a few burns on it. _'What happened to him?'_ Mia thought, immensely worried. Meanwhile, Phoenix turn to him fully, her posture relaxed.

"Still on your feet. You are a stubborn one not to realize you are beaten."

"But I am far from beaten." Ryo growled.

With that, the fiery Ronin charged at her once again, moving swiftly in his attack. But Phoenix anticipated his motions and deftly blocked his attack with a single swipe. She then followed up with a fierce blow to his head with the hilt of the sword. Ryo rolled to the side and managed to rise up, but at that moment, Phoenix raised one of her jitte and slashed forward, sending forth a typhoon of flame that slammed Ryo against the wall and hammered him there

"Ryo's in trouble. We have to do something, Mia."

"Wait." As she said that, Ryo emerged from the flaring sunstorm, his battle mask covering his injured face. _'Ryo may be getting hurt, but his armor is getting stronger.'_ Proof of this was the irregularity in his breathing. Phoenix shook her head.

"You just won't quit, will you?"

"I can't...let you...win..."

"I don't recall asking for your permission, Wildfire." As she spoke, flames began to whirl around her swords as well as her body. Stretching her arms to the side and summoning rings of fire around herself, she called forth the full power of her armor.

_**"Phoenix Scream!"**_

Spilling out, the rings of fire soared out toward Ryo and ripped into the Ronin with devastating force and power.

"Guuaaahhhhhh!!!!!"

"RYO!"

The very heat and light caused Mia and Yuli to back away as Ryo was engulfed by the attack. Phoenix simply looked on as her fire continued to spiral almost continuously. So it came as a surprise when a separate flame emerged and a strained voice was heard from within.

_"Armor...of...Wildfire! __**Flare...Up...Now!**__"_

"What?!"

In that instant, a near-white blast emerged from the firestorm of orange, slamming into Phoenix with an even greater fury than her own attack. The collision created a shockwave that rippled throughout the area, spewing great flames everywhere. Mia and Yuli dove behind the stone pillar in order to avoid the flames. As they did, these same flames burned into the pillar, melting of stone and breaking apart Halo's prison. Light shone forth from the pillar and it soon shattered altogether. As the flames from both Ryo's and Phoenix's attacks began to die down, Mia and Yuli looked from behind the now shatter pillar of stone to see the Ronin of Light touching down to the ground, full conscious.

"Sage!"

"Mia, Yuli... Ryo!"

All three found the Ronin on the ground, panting for breath. They rushed over to him to help him up to his feet, half expecting an attack from Phoenix. But it never came, for she was nowhere to be seen or found. And at the moment, their only concern was Ryo.

"Ryo. Are you okay?"

Yeah...I'm fine..." he wheezed lightly. "Just a...little winded."

Sage and Mia helped Ryo up as Yuli went over to wake up Whiteblaze. They had managed to complete their mission, but it pushed Ryo a great degree. To Mia's interest, it was strange to see the same power that fueled Ryo's armor also managing to hurt him. It just went to show how different to powers of the Celestials were to those of the Ronins. Though they both used fire, they came from different sources. Thus, even though they could still grow stronger, they would be capable of hurting each other.

"We better get out of here before your 'friend' decides on a return visit." Sage spoke.

Looking around at the damage, no one disagreed...

---------------------------

_Preventor HQ_

It was the next day and once again, the Preventor was working to prepare for their next trip. Already, many of the officers had loaded up the needed equipment for desert terrain. Also, units of Preventors were boarding the _Sunstreamer_ along with the main team. Normally, Preventors would try to work in small teams of two, three at the most. So to have a group of fifteen was quite unusual.

"All right. We're ready to go."

As the ship rose and sailed into the sky toward its destination, two figures watched them leave from afar, with malicious intent in their minds.

"We should have just attacked them full force."

"Nanashi has given us his order." his comrade spoke, his voice shadowy. "We attack when the moment is right."

"Yes, of course." the first one spoke. "We can't allow ourselves to be failures, not like that Celestial."

"Indeed. Let's go."

And in a wisp of dark mist, the Demon of Venom and the Warlord of Illusion pursued their prey...


	60. Chapter 59

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

_AN: Sorry for the long delay. My computer crashed and my work along with it, so I had to start everything over on another computer. But don't worry. I intend to finish this story._

-

Chap. 68

-

_Sahara Desert, Nightfall_

"_Unit Two, reporting. No signs of the target._"

"Roger that." was the sullen reply from Sally Po. So far she and the others have been all over the designated part of the desert and there was no sign of the armor of Dune and its bearer Quatre anywhere. Despite the fact that there were four Preventor teams combing the desert in search for the Celestial, he had yet to be discovered.

_'I wish Mia left something more specific.'_

Or had remained behind for that matter. It would have been easier if Mia had stayed behind to help in searching for the Celestials instead of going out on her own to find the Ronins. But then again, it would be better if someone did get to the Ronins before Nanashi did. Even still, it wasn't like Mia to do something so...reckless. _'Looks like Ryo's rubbing off on her'_, she thought with a brief smile as she lifted up a set of binoculars to her eyes.

_'Hm? A low fog? Uh, oh.'_

-----------------------------------------------------

Just south of Sally's position, Kayura and Lady Une searched around their area, but as with everyone else they found nothing to indicate where Quatre was resting. The sounds of the night were few, aside from the light wind and the ringing from the Staff of the Ancients, which was in Une's grasp.

Still...

It was still unknown to Une as to why Kayura didn't take the Staff back. Or rather, wouldn't... After all, it was Kayura's to begin with. But Une knew it had something to do with her and the recent events as well. Well, as long as they were here, she might as well ask about it. And she would have...

...Had Sally not chosen now to call in.

"Commander, come in."

Une picked up her communicator and answered. "What is it Sally? Have you located Quatre?"

"Not yet. But we have a problem."

-----------------------------------------------------

Indeed there was a problem, for with one of the Preventor teams, a fog and descended and formed around them. The team looked around in wonder, but Hilde, who was among them, recognized it and called the team back, summoning up her sub-armor all the while. As they closed in formation, the fog thickened around them, with various shadows of Dynasty warriors appearing from within. However, only one of those shadows emerged from the mist, with dual blades lightly hissing on the sand as it approached.

The Demon Warlord of Venom, Sehkmet...

"Submit to Nanashi or suffer."

Coming out from the group, Hilde bravely faced down the Warlord. Despite the short time she had known him before, she saw and recognized the dark change that was in him now. Meanwhile, Sehkmet looked down at his would-be opponent and laughed aloud.

"Surely you jest! You're going to try to fight me, little girl?"

Her response...

"_Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!_"

The looms of cloth spiraled around Hilde and shattered upon reaching full height. From the fragments that filtered down around her body formed the Armor of Crystal. Unsheathing her katanas, Hilde once again showed her willingness to fight both by stance and by the determination in their eyes. Seeing this was less amusing to the Warlord as he lifted his own wicked blades.

"Very well then. Feel the venom of my bite!"

-----------------------------------------------------

"The Dynasty is here." was Kayura's reply to Sally's report of the fallen mist over one of the Preventor teams.

"So soon?" Une remarked. "That was fast."

Kayura turned toward the direction of the attacked team. "Regardless, I must go and help Crystal."

"Okay. I'll call for all the teams to regroup to the Sunstreamer."

But just before Une could call in Sally to give her orders to the other teams, Kayura spoke to her, causing her to pause for a moment.

"You will have to search for Dune, Lady Une. You're the only one who can find him now."

"What?"

But Kayura turned again without explanation and made her way toward the battlefield. "I must go. The rest is up to you."

-----------------------------------------------------

_**Shrriiinnnngggg!**_

The blades of the Celestial and the Warlord clashed loudly as they fought each other. While the fought, the Preventor team stayed in a tight circle, keeping a wary eye on the Dynasty soldiers that were still shrouded in the mist. But they didn't move for fear of getting caught up in between the battle and getting destroyed.

Back at the battle, though it was fierce one, it was clear that Sehkmet had the advantage. He had both the experience and the brute strength that made his a formidable warrior. But more than that, Hilde felt something amiss. She seemed to be trying harder to fight and with that, was only putting up a marginal defense. As this became clear to her, Sehkmet barreled at her and attacked, stabbing both blades forward in an attempt to impale her. Hilde managed to leap away, but the sand impaired her jump, allowing one of the venomous blades to raze across her leg.

"Nhhh!"

Hilde landed hard on the sand, and the searing pain caused her to stumble and roll in the sand. She rose up slowly, but stopped short on one knee. Looking down, she saw the still hissing-wound on her leg from the Warlord's sword. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as it looked, but her movements would be restricted now. And with Sehkmet closing in, it didn't bode well for her.

"I must say, that is the most pitiful attempt of fighting I have ever seen. Some warrior you are."

Hilde scowled, barely managing to rise up, but not to full height as her leg was still hurting. Groggily almost, she lifted one of her swords, seeing it reflect briefly. Oddly enough, it was then that she realized her problem. Her armor was powered by ice and cold. It was one of the reasons she was able to stand up to Arctic when she was freed from her mountain imprisonment. But here in the desert, even though it was night and cool, it was a dry climate with no water sources. This made for the very bad situation of weakening her armor and its powers.

While Sehkmet steadily took her apart...

"Now that I'm done toying with you..." He lifted his blades high in the air and brought them down slowly, causing them and his arms to multiply.

_"Snake Fang Strike!"_

With a loud battle cry, Sehkmet charged at her, with all six swords aligned forward to attack. When he closed in, his blades lashed out in rapid blur, threatening to tear Hilde apart. And given her injured condition, they most definitely would have.

...Had it not been for the lash of chain that deflected each of the poisonous strikes...

Hilde's eyes widened as did Sehkmet's as Kayura swooped in from out of nowhere, reeling the chains of her kusuri-gama back and into her hands. The metal of the chains hissed, but they remained solid while Kayura stood in between of Hilde and Sehkmet.

"Are you alright?"

Hilde grimaced/smiled. "Yeah." She tried to rise, but her injury prevented her from doing so. "But I've been better."

"Don't worry. I'll handle this."

With that, Kayura returned her attention to Sehkmet, whose six arms/blades were posed to attack again. Kayura shifted in battle pose showing her readiness to fight. The Warlord's face remained as before, but inwardly, he grinned.

_'Everything is going according to plan.'_

-----------------------------------------------------

Left alone on the desert sands, Une continued her search for the missing Celestial. But she had little to no clue on how to go about doing so.

_"You're the only one who can find him now."_

When she said that, Une knew more than ever that Kayura was aware of something about her and her apparent connection to the Staff. But these thoughts would have to wait; finding Quatre was the top priority now. But how was she to find him in this barren terrain? She could probably use the Staff the same way she did when she found Hilde, but she had no idea as to how to do it. Her eyes searched around the desert continuous, looking for something, anything, that would be out of the ordinary (aside from the distant fog), but there was nothing. Just the sands of the desert, with the clear night air rippling from the heat waves of the...

_'Wait... Heat waves...?'_

Une almost blinked as her eyes focused off to her left side. Though common in the daylight hours, the night air was far too cool to be creating any such waves. And looking off in opposite directions, she could see that no such ripple in the air. It was only to her left. _'Could it be?'_ Moving quickly toward the air waves, she stopped when they when just before her high in the air. The sky rippled and every couple of seconds, she could just barely make out a golden shape within.

"Quatre."

It was now that Une understood why they had to search at night. In the desert daylight, he would have been completely invisible to them as the waves coving him and the color of his armor would have blended in perfectly with the environment. Only the fact that these factors remained the same at night was what helped her out. But now that one problem was gone, another remained. How would she reach him?

Hmmmmm...

Une looked down as the Staff of the Ancients began to activate, shimmering lightly in a haze of light. She began to lift it up toward the rippling waves, but then a chill surged through her. She reacted immediately, turning around to see what was causing it.

Or rather, who...

Dais, Demon Warlord of Illusion...

-----------------------------------------------------

"Die!"

Sehkmet charged at Kayura, slashing away with his Snake Fang Strike in order to wound and weaken her. But the warrior priestess was unharmed, already knowing of Sehkmet's ability and use that knowledge to defend herself. As long as she deflected his real strikes without being distracted by the speed that made them seem like there were six arms, she would be safe. In return, Kayura leaped back and high into the air and hurled the forked weight of her weapon at him. Sehkmet paused in his assault and hop back, just as the weight slammed into the sand and created an explosion.

**PPPPPLLLLLLOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!!**

Kayura landed and the two stared off at each other. Kayura felt a pang of hurt from fighting Sehkmet, for he was not the same wise-cracking person he was before. _'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually miss hearing him call me 'Kay'._ But she knew what had to be done and so she fought. If everything is accomplished, then Sehkmet, along with the other Warlords and Celestials, would be free from Nanashi's control.

Meanwhile, Sehkmet was become greatly annoyed. This wasn't like fighting the Celestial, who didn't stand a chance against him. Unlike Hilde, Kayura wasn't affected by the change in climate and remained as strong as ever. Plus, she was a much more skilled warrior than he was, something he didn't want to admit, but knew was true. At the rate they were fighting, she would come out the victor of this battle.

_'Time for plan B.'_

Sehkmet lifted his sword, while Kayura bent in, ready for the next attack. But Sehkmet didn't move and when Kayura heard the sound of bullet fire from behind, she understood why. Wheeling back, she saw the Preventor team had been quickly surrounded by Dynasty soldiers. The bullets did nothing but disappear and the team was subdued. Turning back, Kayura shouted to him.

"What are you doing?!"

Sehkmet grinned. "Surrender to Nanashi's will or they will die."

Kayura's grip on her weapons tightened, but she made no move. She was too far to be able to aid the team and even if she wasn't, Sehkmet would be there to prevent her from doing so. In either case, she was trapped. Slowly, Kayura's arms began to lower. She couldn't surrender, but she also couldn't allow those people to die either

"Yahhhh!"

"What?" Sehkmet exclaimed as his soldiers were cut down by a slightly revived Hilde, who had leaped from her resting place and slashed them down while in midair, with a single slash. However, Hilde stumbled upon touching down, an indication that her wound had not yet healed fully. But to perform such a maneuver was impressive, even to Kayura. _'She has improved.'_ Sehkmet on the other hand, was less than impressed.

"You brat!"

Enraged, Sehkmet lunged right at her, murder-intent in his eyes. Hilde saw his charge, but was unable to rise to confront him due to her injury. As he charged, the Preventor officers took aim and fired at Sehkmet, but as with the Dynasty soldiers, the bullets were ineffective in stopping the barreling Warlord as he attacked with a massive swipe, flooring all of them. Luckily, the Preventor team was shielded from a direct attack, but that was only due to the fact that Hilde took the brunt of attack through crossed swords.

"Ahhhh!"

Her body sprawled upon the sand, Hilde could only manage to look up in pain and Sehkmet approached her, all six swords posed to finish her off. But it was the rattling of a chain that caused him to halt and turn around, just as the forked weight came in and smashed into his chest. A flash of crimson energy soon followed, knocking Sehkmet back, but not down. But Kayura wasn't finished as she dove in from the sky and struck down forcefully with the blade end of her weapon. Sehkmet managed to cross his swords in defense, but the previous attack had weakened him and an extra shove from Kayura was enough to hurl him to the ground this time. The fallen Warlord began to rise, but was cornered down by Kayura, who was standing over him with her kusuri-gama aimed down at him.

"It's over, Sehkmet."

Though obviously beaten, the venomous Warlord chuckled. "You may have won this fight, but by now, Dais has taken care of your Celestial friend and the woman you left behind." His body began to fade away. So it looks like I win the battle. Hahahahahahahaha!"

Sehkmet soon vanished and the fog lifted away. Kayura moved over to Hilde, who was being helped up by some of the members of the Preventor team. Fortunately, the armor of Crystal held and none of Sehkmet's poison infected her further. Also her previous wound on her leg was beginning to heal.

"How are you, Crystal?"

"I'll be okay." Hilde replied weakly. "But you have to hurry and get to Miss Une."

Nodding to this, Kayura quickly rushed back to where she left Lady Une, hoping that she could get to her and Quatre before it was too late.

------------------------------------------------------

"Thanks for saving us the trouble in finding Dune."

"So that's what you were planning this whole time." said Une, no longer stunned by the Warlord's presence.

"Of course." He took a step toward her. "We just had to wait for you to find him."

Une lifted the Staff in defense. "I won't let you have Quatre."

"It makes little difference whether Dune submits to Nanashi or dies here. Either way, you can not stop me!"

In a blur of motion, Dais attacked Une with his morning star, knocking her down hard onto the sand. With Une out of his way, Dais turned toward to near-hidden rippling form of Quatre. _'Impressive to use such a method to cloak itself... But you couldn't hide long enough, could you Dune? Not from Nanashi.'_ Reach to his back, he unhooked his Chin Lao Tin and whirled the blades above his head.

Behind him, Une began to rise up. Amazingly, the Staff remained in her grip, but it didn't stop him from brushing her off and continuing toward Quatre. She knew she had to stop him, but how? She could try and fight him, but that would be pointless as the Warlord was much stronger than her and would kill her without trying. But she couldn't just let him capture or kill Quatre.

_**Shhhhhhrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeee...!**_

The Staff began to glow once again in her hand, but this time it was immensely bright, so much that it partly illuminated the area. Needless to say, this caught the Warlord's attention as he turned to see Une standing up and slowly lifting the Staff above her head. Dais shielded his eyes from the light, taking a step back from the intensity of it. And just as suddenly as the light came, it stopped. Dais put down his arm and glared at her, only to find her eyes focused behind him. Upon turning around, he saw why.

"What?"

Hovering down from the air, Quatre settled onto the sands in confrontation. His normally gentle eyes were hidden behind the armored battle mask and his hands held the nunchuku in battle readiness. Dais was still unsure as to how to react. One minute, he was ready to destroy an inactive Dune and the next, the Celestial was revived and ready to fight. It was because of the woman, the one who held the Staff. At that moment, Kayura made it back with them, leaving Dais surrounded.

"I've underestimated my adversaries. Nanashi must know of this." His gaze focused on Une. "Of her..."

With this thought in mind, Dais backed away and disappeared from view, leaving the three alone. Quatre lowered his weapons and the face mask slid away to reveal his face. Needless to say, it was a questioning gaze that he had.

"What...happened?"

"It's a long story, Quatre." Une replied. "But sufficient to say, it is good to see you."

Quatre simply gave a meek smile in return, while Kayura stared over at Une. She had managed to use the power of the Staff once again and again to revive one of the Celestials. That presented a good deal of hope for her, but now would come the hardest part for all of them. To complete their mission, they need the Celestial of Faith.

_Phoenix... Noin..._


	61. Chapter 60

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

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Chap 69

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"It's hard to believe... that so much has happened."

Aboard the Sunstreamer, the team had grouped together in the meeting room as the ship made its way back to Preventor HQ. Missing from the group was Lady Une, who had left earlier to contact the base and Howard, who was on the bridge. While she was gone, Kayura and the others filled in Quatre on the events that led up to his release (which took quite some time). Needless to say, Quatre had a lot to take in.

"Yeah. I felt the same when they got me out." Hilde commented. "Like you just skipped over time or something."

"Trust me. All of it happened." Sally replied. "And it wasn't easy either."

At this, the blond young man smiled meekly. "Sorry for all the trouble."

Sally smiled back. "No need to apologize. You couldn't help what happened."

"True." Turning to Kayura, Quatre then asserted. "But we can help to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Nodding at his understanding, Kayura spoke. "So now you know the situation we face now. You and Hilde are keys to unlocking the true power of the armors." She paused for a moment. "But to be complete, we need Phoenix."

"That's not going to be easy. And I speak from experience." Hilde replied solemnly, recalling her past battles with the golden Celestial.

"But still, there has to be a way to reach Miss Noin." Quatre asserted. "Isn't there any way we can do that, Lady Kayura?

Kayura lowered her eyes slightly. "I am unsure. I was in the same position she was in once and it took...the life of a friend to bring me back."

Hearing her pained tone, Quatre's eyes lowered as well. "I guess...that's not an option then."

Sally pushed herself off the wall. "I think a break is what we need. When is the last time anyone's had any rest?"

"Well...It has been a while." Hilde answered.

"Well, that's just what you will all do. It'll do the brain some good and maybe we can think of something afterward before we get to headquarters." With a grin, she then added. "Doctor's orders."

"Well we can't argue with that now, can we?" Quatre smiled in return.

------------------------------------

_Preventor HQ_

The towering building was nearly restored to its former self, now having been repaired from the Dynasty attack in the past. Inside as the workers went about in finishing the repair work, in the medical wing; a nurse went in one of the rooms to check on a particular patient.

Dorothy Catalonia...

Since her arrival, Dorothy had remained unconscious. Although her vitals showed no irregularities, the young woman had yet to revive. The nurse routinely checked the instruments to make sure they were in working order before leaving the room. However, if she had stayed a minute longer, she would have seen the ghastly black aura that arose from her body, or the instruments suddenly cutting off.

Or the supposedly comatose woman's eyes opening...

--------------------------------------------

_Netherealm_

In the central chamber of Nanashi's citadel, Trieze once again entered into its midst as the shadowy visage of Nanashi came into form. Kneeling down, Trieze reported to his dark master.

"All is ready, Master. All we await for now it the appointed day."

"Good." he replied. "Is Arctic ready?"

Trieze lifted his head slightly with a smile. "He has been training constantly since his fight with Crystal. His strength has grown substantially, even without the power of the dark side. And he is eager to return to battle. Also, Shiva has departed as well. She said something about feeling chaotic."

"Heh, just as well. What of Phoenix?"

"Still gone. She has been spotted in battle against Wildfire, but has disappeared. She refuses to return."

"And what of your daughter?"

"Being prepared as we speak."

Nanashi gaze shifted toward the outside. "When the black comet flies over the Dynasty sky and pulls in the eclipse, the gateway of the Dynasty will open in their heavens."

"And none will stand in your way of total conquest, Master."

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"Any word with headquarters yet?"

"Nothing commander. No contact of any sort. And it's been almost half an hour already. It's as though no one is there."

Une frowned inwardly. Lost of contact for so long a time was never a good sign. It didn't help that it reinforced her earlier thought that there was something wrong concerning the Dynasty's actions. It seemed as though they knew where they were going to be _before_ they arrived. First, they lay in wait for them in the Sahara and confronted her the moment she located Quatre. Then at Mt. Everest, Zechs had been waiting for them right on the mountaintop as they arrived.

Now this...

"How long until we reach headquarters?" Une asked Howard.

Howard checked the radar. "We should be coming up on it any minute now."

The Sunstreamer soon descended from the clouds and toward the building. There wasn't anything noticeably wrong at first. But as the ship came in and landed, it was clear that something was definitely wrong. This main reason for this thought was one simple fact.

Not a single person was around...

"Hello?"

Kayura, Hilde, Quatre, Sally, and Une entered the main lobby of the building, finding it quiet and completely void of any life.

"What happened?" Hilde thought out loud. "It's completely deserted here."

"We better look around, see if there's someone left here." Sally suggested.

We'll split into groups. Sally, take Quatre and Hilde and search the upper level. Kayura and I will check the conference room. Report back in five minutes.

"Got it."

Later on, in the upper level of the building, Sally, Hilde and Quatre had searched through the most of the rooms, hoping to find someone left behind, only to discover that there were no signs of life anywhere around. As the group moved on, Quatre stopped and turned to look down the side corridor; his attention was focused on a single room. They had yet to check it, but Sally had declared that chances are that it would be vacant as well. Yet, for some reason, Quatre felt compelled to move toward that particular room.

_'The Soul of Outer Space...'_

Never one to question his space heart, Quatre slowly moved toward the room, oddly enough getting a sense of deja vu as well. Opening the door, Quatre slowly entered the medical room and was surprised by what he saw. Though the bed was empty, there was a form beside the window. Though the persons back was turned, the long blond hair and proud stance told Quatre immediately who it was.

"Miss Dorothy..."

"Polite as always, Quatre Rababra Winner." was the shadowy reply.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him, causing Quatre to whirl back. He looked back at Dorothy who slowly began to turn around to him. Quatre found himself stepping back, sensing the dark aura that seemed to be emitting from her.

"Dorothy... What happened to you?"

The woman grinned feral, the dark shadow of her eyes making it appear all the more sinister. "I'm a part of the Dynasty, Quatre. I have since the day you brought me here the first time."

"Since I...brought you here?" the Celestial blinked.

"Your weakness almost cost me my life that day." she continued, her grin now gone. "Fortunately, Nanashi has given me the chance to rectify that mistake."

"No. Dorothy. Something is wrong. This isn't you." Yet, despite sensing the Netherealm spirit that possessed her, he felt doubt flicker within him at her sharp words.

"Wrong. This is exactly who I am. And to prove it, I'm going to finish what I started on the Libra years ago." With that, a ghastly aura formed around her, with a part of it coursing down to her hand and solidifying into a black, wicked-looking rapier sword. With a dark grin returning to her face, Dorothy settled into a stance.

"Dorothy, don't do this."

A stabbing lunge was her response...

---------------------------------------------

"Quatre!"

In the hallway outside, Sally had just Quatre being sealed up in one of the rooms. Mentally, she noted that it was the same room that Dorothy had been placed in for medical treatment. Picking up her radio, Sally called up Une.

"Commander, we have a problem up here..."

"You aren't kidding."

That came from Hilde, who called from the other end of the hall. There, Dynasty soldiers had piled up the entire corridor. Sally turned back and found the same thing on the other end. Grouping back together, Hilde thought about summoning her armor, but refrained instead. Her eyes grew determined as she readied to fight.

"Alright, guys. Bring it on."

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"Haa!"

With a blur of motion, Dorothy slashed at Quatre with her newfound weapon. Quatre managed to dodge the attack and the weapon tore into the wall, leaving a black hissing mark across the wall. Quatre backed against the wall, finding himself caught between the bed and Dorothy. She didn't hurry to face him, but rather chuckled.

"What's the matter? Why don't you call forth your armor, Winner?"

"I don't want to fight you, Dorothy."

The moment he finished saying that, she had lunged at him again, the demonic aura bursting as she attacked. Quatre dodged to the side once again, falling onto the medical bed and rolling over it. And not a moment too soon, as Dorothy hacked down on him and ripped the bed in two. Amidst the chaos of shredded cloth and flying springs, Dorothy attacked once again. This time, Quatre was unable to dodge and lifted his arm in defense. The blade clashed with his sub-armor, but the force pushed him backward and to the ground. Quatre held his arm in pain, silently grateful that his armor held. Looking back up, he was greeted to Dorothy's cold eyes.

"I can't believe this." she sneered. "A gundam pilot and a Celestial Warrior, and yet you refuse to fight. How can such powers and skill be given to someone as weak as you? And to top it off, you couldn't even defend one single person. It's so pathetic, it's disgusting."

"Maybe you're right." he replied after a moment of silence. This fight only brought to the surface what Quatre always worried and blamed himself about in his mind. Like many times before in the past, Quatre blamed himself for when his friends and those around him got hurt because of his actions, or lack of thereof.

"But...if I am to lose, in order to release you from the Dynasty's hold, then that's just what I'll do."

Dorothy's eyes turned into surprise as Quatre relinquished his sub-armor, leaving him open and exposed to any attack she could unleash on him. "What? Do you honestly believe that you will turn me away from the Dynasty by sacrificing yourself?"

"Not believe." he replied, the symbol of -_Kitai_- gleaming upon his forehead. "Hope."

With that, Quatre simply closed his eyes and waited. Dorothy seemed uncertain as to what to do for a moment, but then reared back and attacked...only to stop a few inches away from his chest.

_'What's wrong with me? Why did I stop?'_

Despite these thoughts, Dorothy found that she could not move any closer to running him through. And while the internal struggle waged inside her, Quatre remained just as he was, his eyes still closed but sensing her inner turmoil. Unseen to him, the armor of Dune materialized behind Quatre and began to glow and resonate. Her arms began to tremble and shake as she felt indecision grow inside her.

_'What am I doing? __**What are you doing?**_

_'Dorothy... You're stronger than it is. You can do it...'_

Her eyes began to waver side to side, as though she was searching through her mind for something, anything that would help her make a decision. She wanted to attack, but she felt as though it wasn't her decision. As though...something else...was deciding for her!

"Guaahhhh!"

"Dorothy?"

Quatre opened his eyes to see Dorothy backing away from him, her hands on the sides of her head and shaking madly. The woman was driven to her knees, letting out cries of anguish, anguish that Quatre felt within himself. Bending down in front of her, Quatre placed his hands on her shoulders, not forgetting that she was still holding the rapier in her hand but not caring either. Her pain was becoming his pain and he wanted it to end. He just had to hope that the Dorothy could beat the Dynasty spirit that possessed her.

"Stop it!" she screamed, although it wasn't her voice. "Stop...resisting... You can't...fight... AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Dorothy!"

The woman let out another scream and the black mist aura around her spewed from her body and into the air, where it vaporized into thin air. At that moment, Hilde and Sally managed to slam their way into the door, after having dealt with the Dynasty soldiers outside. What they found was Dorothy slumped in Quatre's arms, while the young man held her so that she didn't fall to the floor.

"Quatre! Are you okay?"

Quatre didn't reply at first and merely lifted the prone woman upright. The symbol of -_Kitai_- remained upon Quatre's forehead as he quietly pleaded for Dorothy to revive. Just then, Kayura and Une arrived to the room to see the same scene.

"Dorothy... Dorothy, wake up..."

"Quatre. What happened?"

It was then that Quatre explained what had happened; his fight with Dorothy and the expulsion of the Netherealm spirit inside of her through her own will, all the while, he continued to try and revive her. The others around them gave doubtful looks. Kayura in particular, knew that with possession, the host normally dies if the spirit is expelled from them. Kayura would have died herself if not for Anubis and the protection of his armor. And as a doctor, Sally didn't see any promising signs either. But Quatre didn't stop trying. Then...

"Quatre...Rababera...Winner..."

The young man smiled as Dorothy's eyes slowly lid open and looked up at him. She wasn't sure whether to smile or frown upon seeing him and in the end, she simply opted to sigh and close her eyes in rest. As the others moved in to help, Kayura remained behind, watching the armor of Dune disappear from behind. Quatre's soul, combined with Dorothy's will and the armor's power, managed to free Dorothy from the Dynasty spirit's control, all while keeping her alive. And despite the situation they had to deal with now regarding Noin as well as their continued fight against Nanashi, this gave the very sense that was illuminated on Quatre's forehead.

Hope...


	62. Chapter 61

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

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Chap. 70

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_Toyama Sea_

"There it is."

The Ryo, Mia, Yuli, Sage, and Whiteblaze stood on the rocky cliff side of the Toyama Sea. Underneath the bridge over the sea, two whirlpools swirled continuously and beneath those rested the armor of Torrent and its bearer.

"So what are we waiting for?" Yuli exclaimed. "Let's get Cye out of there."

"Yeah." Ryo agreed as he moved toward the edge of the cliff. "We have to get there as soon as possible.

"Wait, Ryo." Mia called, causing Ryo to pause before he jumped in. "It would be better if Sage went after him alone.

"What do you mean, Mia?"

"Think about it, Ryo." she explained. "The Dynasty could attack at any moment. Someone has to stay above to fight them if they come."

What was left unsaid was the fact that if the Dynasty did attack while Ryo was in the water, he could be hurt very badly. The last time, he battled Sekmet while unaware of the armor of Wildfire's weakness in the water and was almost killed by the Warlord of Venom. She... They couldn't risk that happening again.

"Mia has a point." Sage agreed, moving past Ryo and onto the edge himself. "Don't worry Ryo. I'll get Cye and come back."

Ryo was quiet for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. I'm counting on you, Sage."

Nodding back, Sage leaped off and dove into the waters. Ryo was still a bit upset that it wasn't him, but Mia was right. It was better for Sage to go that him. If the Dynasty did attack, it would be better for him to be on the surface and protect the others while Sage carried out his mission. But unknown to them, another creature had arrived, with a mission of their own.

"Wildfire. It's time to play."

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_Preventor HQ_

In the hanger bay within the headquarters, the remaining Preventors went to work on loading the Sunstreamer with supplies and provisions. The work helped to take their minds off the fact that the headquarters was virtually void of all life, due to the fact that Nanashi had managed to capture all the Preventor personnel in the building. While work went on, Hilde took a break to go see Kayura and Une, who were in the meeting room onboard the Sunstreamer planning out their next move.

"How are things going with the supplies?" Une asked after her entry.

"Slow, but steady." the Celestial replied with a sigh. "We should be done in about an hour. How about you guys? Any ideas on how we are to reach Noin yet?"

Kayura shook her head. "No. Not yet. At best, all we can hope for is that she will come after us and we capture her."

"Definitely easier said than done." Hilde muttered. "Do you think there's a way to draw her out?"

"You don't have much time left."

The three women turned back to find Dorothy standing in the doorway. The blond woman slowly entered the room, showing that she was still recovering from her possession from the Dynasty spirit. Kayura was still surprised that Dorothy was still alive; they had Quatre to thank for that one. Even still, Dorothy was still incredibly weak and it must have been a struggle just for her to be up and about. But as Une knew, Dorothy was just that kind of person.

"Nanashi is preparing his invasion as we speak, and he will enter this world soon." she continued. "Very soon."

"We may have to rely on Ryo and Mia, and hope they are faring better than we are."

Dorothy raised an eyebrow at this. "Hope? That doesn't sound too reliable."

"Emotions that allow for the light to always shine, regardless of the darkness. That's what Anubis told me." Kayura quietly answered. Focusing her gaze on Dorothy, she then added. "And those words are true, Dorothy. You are an example of that."

At this Dorothy went silent, knowing she was referring to the reason why she was freed from the Dynasty's hold. Taking a number from Duo, Hilde decided to break the silence with some humor.

"Well, since we're going on hope, we can always hope that Noin will come to say that she's left Nanashi and wants to help us."

"That might be asking for a bit much." Une replied, a light smile coming over her lips.

"Doesn't hurt."

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Beneath the waters of the Toyama Sea, Sage steadily made his way toward the swirling whirlpools. His now-active armor kept him breathing and protected as he continued onward, where his friend and comrade would be at rest in the center. However, as he drew closer, the sea floor began to spew up dirt from multiple points. Sage watched on as blades and other sorts of weapons emerged from the dirt and soon the Ronin of light was faced with a horde of Dynasty soldiers.

_'They're already here.'_

Sage frowned as he began to pull forth his nodachi. _'Looks like getting Cye will be a bit more difficult than I thought.'_ As the soldiers advanced and charged at him, Sage held his position; his sword in ready position.

_'I hope Ryo and the others are okay.'_

------------------------------------------------------------------

On the surface, oblivious to Sage's situation, Ryo and Mia sat on the rocks watching the whirlpools, while Yuli and Whiteblaze stayed behind them playing. Mia's gaze remained on the waters for awhile before she turned to look at Ryo.

"Hey Ryo. Do you think Sage will be okay?"

Ryo didn't answer at first and when Mia called his name, Ryo blinked and looked away. Mia blinked in surprise as well, but even more so when she saw Ryo face slightly red. _'Is he...blushing?'_ Mia almost smiled at this, until she realized that he had been caught staring...at her. This in turn, caused her cheeks to warm a little and she had to turn away from him. Both Yuli and Whiteblaze saw this, with Yuli having a strange look over his face.

"Are you guys alright?

"Uh, yeah. Fine." Ryo answered after a minute. He then answered Mia, although he didn't look in her direction. "I think Sage will be just fine, Mia. Don't worry."

"Mmhm..."

It was at that moment that Whiteblaze began to growl toward the waters. His attention shifted, Ryo jumped up from his seat just as a blast of water erupted in front of them. Mia jumped away and moved back with Yuli and Whiteblaze as a figure emerged from the water blast.

"Hey, it's Cye!" Yuli smiled, beginning to move forward.

However, Whiteblaze continued to growl and Ryo grabbed Yuli. And Yuli saw why, for the figure that was coming out of the water was definitely not Cye. The creature wasn't even a Ronin.

"Lady Shiva!" Mia exclaimed.

Indeed the feminine figure that emerged was Lady Shiva. The Starlight swords in her hands twinkled lightly as her masked gaze remained solid and focused on the fiery Ronin. Whiteblaze moved in front of Mia and Yuli in a protective stance, growling all the while as Shiva stepped onto the rocky edge.

"Ryo of Wildfire. I'm bored. Play with me?"

His response was immediate. "_Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!_"

As soon as his armor encased him in form, Ryo wasted no time in leaping up toward Shiva and Shiva charged at the Ronin in return. Their blades clashed aloud as they met in the air and the two warriors landed on opposite sides. Ryo quickly wheeled around and lunged at her savagely, but she turned as well and caught his blade with hers. Ryo forced himself to press on, bringing in his second sword to attack her from the side. But Shiva anticipated this and deflected the attack with her second blade. Ryo frowned at this. He was hoping to throw her off so that he could mount a better offensive before she decided to strike back. But that didn't work out and Shiva pushed Ryo back to give herself space.

"Well, well. Someone's feeling feisty today. Crushing you will be more fun that I thought."

In a blur of motion, Shiva was flying straight at Ryo and a moment later, Ryo was as well, due to a powerful blow from Shiva. To his credit, Ryo managed to roll though the air and onto his feet. Reflexively, he crossed his swords together in defense just as Shiva charged again, clashing against him once more. His feet dug deep into the earth as he held Shiva back; his teeth grinding together as he did.

"You are going to have to put up more of a fight if I'm to work up a sweat, Wildfire."

Slipping her leg forward, Shiva hooked the back of Ryo's foot and pulled it in, causing Ryo to slip backward off the rocky edge and into the water. Ryo rose out quickly to the surface, but Shiva had disappeared.

"Ryo! Look out!"

Ryo turned too late as Shiva smashed his head sideways with a forceful kick. Ryo was knocked sideways, sliding across the water and soon sank beneath. Shiva stood atop the water, gazing down at the sinking Ronin and chuckling all the while.

"Well, that was easy."

However, Ryo was far from done as he literally shot up out of the water in a blast and connected his swords together in the air. The masked warrioress looked on as he swirled his blades in waves of fire. 

_**"Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up NOW!"**_

But before his attack could be fully unleashed, the water around Shiva began to rise and spiral around her. With a dark smile hidden behind the pale mask, Shiva lifted her swords, unleashing her own attack.

_**"Star Sword Scream!"**_

Crimson lightning immediately shot down from the sky and struck Ryo from above before he could attack. The Ronin of fire was completely engulfed in the devastating attack and his cry echoed throughout the area

"Aaaahhhhh!"

Ryo plummeted and crashed in the water again with a loud splash. Again, Shiva chuckled and began to advance toward him, but paused when she saw Ryo rising up from the water, barely afloat. His breathing was ragged and his armor damaged, but the swords of Wildfire remained in his grip.

"You're still alive?" Shiva replied in mild surprise. "I'm impressed. I guess I'll have to try this time."

The Starlight swords sparkled as Shiva rushed toward Ryo, but before she came near, a rush of water caught her attention and she jumped to the side just before it exploded beneath her in a column of fury and force. Leaping back, Shiva was greeted to the presence of Sage and Cye, whose battle mask was covering his face. Both Ronin stood on opposite sides of Ryo, all ready to continue the fight.

"Cye! Sage!" Yuli cried.

"Ryo?" Sage said upon seeing Ryo's condition. "Are you alright?"

"..."

"So you survived, Torrent. No matter. I'll have the pleasure of destroying you all..." She lifted one sword, causing the Ronins to ready themselves for attack. But then she chuckled and lowered her blade. "But not today. I had such a good time today, so I think I'll wait until next time. _Adieu_, boys!"

With dark laughter, Shiva disappeared from sight, leaving the group to themselves. And not a moment too soon, for Ryo's body began trembling and the youth's eyes rolled back and he collapsed back into the water.

"Ryo!"


	63. Chapter 62

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 71

-

_Preventor HQ/ Sunstreamer_

"All supplies are onboard, Commander Une."

Nodding to the Preventor officer, Une turned back to the rest of team. Everyone was grouped in the meeting room ready to go. But Une wasn't as ready to leave. With the Preventors HQ deserted, this would only cause an even greater panic worldwide. While there were still several agents around the world who could keep the peace, it would only be a delaying effect and things could grow nasty real fast. But she couldn't stay in the central HQ now. There were greater responsibilities to worry about; greater dangers that needed to be dealt with. And as a Preventor, it was her responsibility to put out this fire before the entire Earth was engulfed.

And save Mariemaia...and hopefully, Trieze as well...

"So where are we headed?"

Une returned her attention to the group as Howard asked his question and then stepped forward in answer.

"We're returning to the cave of the Sacred Pool."

There was a surprised reaction from some of them and Hilde was the one to voice it. "But I thought we needed Noin to complete our mission."

"Which is why we're returning." the Preventor commander explained. "Since we have no way of luring Noin to us, it is best to wait by the cave."

It was true. Both Kayura and Une had racked their minds about this and so far, they had little to go by. All they had was the poem that indicated the armor of Phoenix's resting place, but since she was already active, that knowledge would do little to help. And with no way of finding her themselves, this was the only course of action.

"So if she does come at us, we have a better chance of getting her to the cave." Dorothy reasoned from the side.

"And we must make sure the cave is protected from Nanashi as well." Kayura added. "As it stands, it is our last stronghold against the Dynasty."

The team nodded in agreement and Howard had heard enough. "So it's back to the cave then. Then let's get a move on."

"Alright."

--

For most people, the day would be considered a beautiful one. A sunny sky with few clouds and a gentle warm breeze, it was the ideal condition. But for the semi-armored woman, she paid no mind to it, even as the air bristled warmly at her hair and skin.

Pleasure was irrelevant when concerning her loyalty to the Dynasty.

From a distance, Phoenix could just make out the city where their target was. But there was no need to rush. Knowing the situation, they would come to her. Though her missions as of late haven't been fruitful, she was determined to bring down the Ronins. However, with that task being given to Shiva, she took it upon herself to turn her attention to the Celestials/Preventors, seeing as how the newly converted warlord weren't having much success.

But that was the least of her problems. For some reason, her armor seemed to be working against her. At first, it was a minor problem, something she barely took note of. But with every advancing battle, it became worse and worse. Not physically; she was still battle capable. But it was throwing off her focus and concentration, something that she couldn't afford to have slow her down now

She couldn't afford to fail _him_... She would not fail _him_...

And then it happened again. Her head began to be hammered in with a dull pain and she found herself grasping the side of her head, her fingers partly buried in her short hair. Once more, her armor trait shone lightly upon her forehead. _'What is wrong with me?'_ Even without the armor being fully active, it still seemed to be working against her. Putting her hand down, she tried to will it away. She could not fight properly if she was constantly slowed by this...distraction.

And as she thought before, she would not fail.

With her headache now fading away, her eyes lifted up to see her target flying through the skies, just as she predicted. With the Preventor HQ now void of many of its agents, it was only natural to relocate to a temporary base until they could restore order. But in the process, that would leave them open to an ambush, one that Phoenix intends to capitalize on. And once the crew of the ship was dealt with, she would then have to mop up the remaining Ronins. So long as her armor didn't betray her, she would succeed. With a lift of her hand, she summoned a legion of Dynasty soldiers behind her and then called forth her armor. The golden armor encased her in it power as the jitte in her hands were set for battle.

She would not fail him...

--

In the skies above, the Sunstreamer sailed just under the light clouds, heading toward the designated forest where the cave of the Sacred Pool was located. Below them, the city limits quickly disappeared and soon gave way to the open grassland and roadways.

"Once we arrive, land just outside near the forest." Une announced to Howard. "We can set up camp there. After that, it's just a matter of waiting."

"I don't think we'll have to wait that long." Hilde said in alarm. "Look!" Coming to the window with her, the group was shocked to see what she was talking about. Standing upon one of the Sunstreamer's wings, with her jitte sizzling in the flowing air, was none other than the Dark Celestial of the Sun, Phoenix. And though her face was shrouded in the armor, her eyes were literally ablaze.

"Yaaahhhhh!!"

In one swift motion, Phoenix lifted her arm and weapon and slashed down, sending a wave of fire toward the rear of the ship that exploded on impact. The entire ship rattled and the bridge crew within had to hang on for dear life.

"The starboard engine has been completely destroyed!" one of the pilots yelled. "We can't keep her up!"

"Just land her down if you can!" Howard called back, hanging on to one of the panels.

The ship descended quickly from the sky and toward the open land. Smoke billowed out of the wrecked engine as the ship quickly drew closer to the ground, shuffling sideways somewhat as the pilot tried to make for a gentler landing.

"Hang on! This is going to get rough!"

A moment after he said that, the ship slammed onto the ground and skidded along through the dirt. The entire interior rumbled violently as everyone continued to hold on to whatever it was they held on to. After a long minute or so, the ship finally came to a stop, badly wrecked from the crash.

"Is everyone alright?" Sally asked after rising up shakily.

"Ugghh." Quatre moaned slightly before looking around to check the others. "We're fine, mostly."

"Commander, I think we have another problem." Dorothy said suddenly.

Looking out the window on the opposite end, the group was greeted to the sight of numerous Dynasty soldiers, all armed and partly surrounding the crashed ship.

"Well, this is bad." Sally muttered.

"Maybe." Kayura agreed. "But it may be a blessing in disguise. If we can subdue Phoenix, we'll have the three armors."

Quatre turned to her. "I'll go with you. I want to try to talk her out of it if I can."

The priestess nodded in agreement. "Alright." Turning to Hilde, she then said. "Hilde, you'll have to deal with them while Quatre and I confront Noin."

The young woman nodded. "You can count on me."

"Howard, we'll need a damage and injury report quickly." Une commanded. "Sally, take a team and help out those who are injured."

"I'm on it."

--

Phoenix stood on the wing of the Sunstreamer in wait as she heard the sounds of battle begin from the opposite of the ship. But she didn't move. She didn't have to go anywhere. With the ship grounded and surrounded, their only chance would be to confront her. And the sooner she takes care of this resistance, the better. She was starting to get a little anxious. It was then that two forms leaped out into the sky and landed across from her near the bulk of the ship. Phoenix didn't turn to them at first, but she did acknowledge their presence.

"I was expecting you, Lady Kayura, but I didn't think you would need backup."

Quatre knew she was referring to him, but simply bypassed her remark. "Miss Noin. We don't want to fight you."

"Dune. Naive as usual." Her golden armored form finally turned to face them. "But if you don't want to fight me, fine. Join the Dynasty ranks."

Quatre frowned slightly, but not because of her words. Something seemed to be off with the person before him. It was almost like his episode with Dorothy, but different. He couldn't place what though. The darkness seemed stronger around her, but so was the...displacement. Still, at the moment, she was an enemy and he had to keep his focus.

"You know I can't do that."

"Then you've chosen to continue defying Nanashi." Her arms lifted ever so slightly, her jitte posed and ready for battle. "And in that, you will die."

"_Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!_"

Quatre had arrived to the scene in his sub-armor only, while Kayura had come fully armored. He had hoped that it wouldn't come down to them fighting, but seeing as how it couldn't be avoided, he summoned his armor. The swirls of loom surrounded him and soon sprinkled upon him the armor of Dune. His nunchuku in hand, Quatre went into a defensive stance, as did Kayura as Phoenix literally soared at them with her weapons ablaze. Reaching Quatre first, she struck at him with the fiery attack, upon which Quatre blocked it fully. The flames spewed off her weapon, but he was protected by his armor as he held her off.

With Quatre holding Phoenix in place, Kayura switched from her defensive stance and leapt into the air. Whirling the chain of her weapon, she hurled the weight toward Phoenix in strike. Seeing this, Phoenix broke away from Quatre and jumped off the side of the Sunstreamer. Kayura pursued. Pulling back the chain and going in close to strike with the blade end. But Phoenix lifted her jitte and flailed it forward, unleashing another torrent wave of fire. Kayura reactively dodged it, but the firewave continued toward the ship.

_'No!'_

Just then, Quatre jumped down from the ship and whirled his weapon around rapidly just before the firewave hit. The flames were dispel and scattered harmlessly away. Kayura gave him a brief smile of relief before returning her attention to Phoenix, who was now coming at her.

_Krrrssssshhh!!_

Their weapons clashed loudly as the two warriors fought. As they did, Quatre rushed to meet up with them. Phoenix seemed to have the advantage, but Quatre could already see what Kayura was doing. Kayura was merely fighting defensively in order to lead her away from the ship. But Phoenix was beginning to overwhelm her; her attacks growing in ferocity and power, sending fire to just about everywhere.

The two finally settled on a cliff-side hill briefly to gauge one another. Kayura could feel herself beginning to weaken from Phoenix's attacks. Whatever it was that was driving her, it was strong. But Nanashi's influence couldn't have pushed her this much, not even with the power of the dark side. If anything, it was the true power of her armor was coming to life. But that couldn't happen under Nanashi's influence. The only way that could happen is if she was following the soul of her armor.

"Ghhh!"

Kayura then saw it. The symbol of Seii -Faith- fluttered briefly on Phoenix's forehead and the woman warrior's eyes narrowed in pain in response to it. It was then that she realized what was happening. But before she could voice it, Phoenix shrieked and charged again. Kayura was surprised by the speed of her approach and managed a partial defense which was completely broken through, allowing Phoenix to knock her back and off the cliff side. Kayura wheeled through the open air and landed on the road just below safely. But Phoenix lifted her jitte again, creating a bigger surge of flame from the weapon.

"Stop!"

Phoenix turned as Quatre leaped up after her and lashed his nunchuku out, deflecting the weapon and causing her to relinquish her attack. Both Celestials landed on the same road as Kayura and Phoenix pointed her blade at Quatre, clearly annoyed at his interference.

"Die."

She came so fast that she was nearly a blur of gold, but Quatre managed to hold her off again with a block. But this time, she was forcing him down to the ground; the flames on her weapons beginning to intensify.

"Miss Noin, please stop this."

"Never!" she snarled. "I will never betray him!"

Her armor trait flickered on her forehead again, causing her to groan in pain, which in turn, caused her to further her force on Quatre. Despite his predicament, Quatre could sense a growing uncertainty about her and began to worry about her.

"Who?"

Phoenix disengaged from Quatre once again and backed away upon seeing Kayura's approaching form. But this time, Kayura hadn't attacked. She had simply asked a question.

"What?"

"You will never betray who?" Kayura reaffirmed. "You don't mean Nanashi. Who are you talking about?"

"Shut up!" Phoenix screeched, her armor trait now beginning to remain in place on her forehead.

"Kayura?" Quatre asked questioningly.

"Her armor is rejecting Nanashi's influence." Kayura explained. "Her mind is in conflict with the armor's soul."

"Grraaahhhh!"

It took a minute for Quatre to process this in his mind. If the soul of the armor was the source of her current struggle, then she was reacting to a thought or feeling of some kind. But what? Seeing the trait on her forehead -Faith- it then clicked. The only reason, object or person that she would see as deserving of such an emotion…

"You mean Zechs." he said to her, remembering the many times she had believed and trusted in him, even at the end of the Eve Wars and afterward. "You don't want to betray Zechs."

"Yes... No... Auhhh!" She cried aloud, stabbing her weapons into the ground in order to grasp her helmeted head. The two remained away as she shook her head, struggling with herself.

"You..." she rasped."Both of you..."

In a flash, Noin grabbed her jitte and whirled them back. Spirals of flame and fire whirled around her, forming into rings and scorching the ground beneath her in a blaze. Kayura's eyes widened as she immediately recognized what Phoenix was about to do.

_**"Phoenix Scream!"**_

The rings of fires flailed out toward the two and a huge explosion erupted afterward from it. However, upon closer inspection, Phoenix saw that her attack didn't quite hit its mark. Looking through the flames, she saw a pillar of light beaming up from the ground around an armored warrior. Quatre was bent on the ground, his connected nunchuku forced into the earth as a result of his Gaia's Wrath attack.

_'He blocked my attack...with his own...!'_

In this realization, she failed to notice the aerial form of Kayura, who was whirling her chain around rapidly. The weapon glowed in deep crimson and Kayura unleashed her surefire attack.

_**"Quake with Fear!"**_

The cry alerted Phoenix, but the energized chain came at her with astonishing speed. On reflex, she lifted her jitte in defense, but the chain slammed into her explosively, hurling the Dark Celestial back into the rocky edge and smashing into it. Kayura landed on the ground soon after and readied herself to continue the fight. Phoenix was still for a moment, but soon moved away and toward Kayura. However, her movements were slow, reduced to slow staggering and her head was lowered slightly.

"I... will... not... fail...him..." was all she got out before falling to the ground. At this point, Quatre came up beside Kayura and the two gazed down at the fallen Celestial. Despite her state, Quatre could still feel the conflict within her; a conflict that divided her from within and brought about her defeat.

"Miss Noin..."

--

Unknown to them, a shadowy figure had been watching the fight between three warriors. However, its gaze had been focused primarily on the fallen Celestial. Her performance was less that admirable and as a result, she was at their mercy. But she was a part of the Dynasty now. Mercy was something she would not be allowed in the face of defeat.

_'So the master was right. She's become a liability.'_


	64. Chapter 63

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 72

-

"This is it. We're here."

Shrouded in the forest surroundings, Kayura and Une stood before the mouth of the cave where the Sacred Pool awaited beyond. Kayura held the Staff of the Ancients, silently mulling over the fact that it had been some time since she held the Staff. But there was a reason for that, and the time to reveal that reason had come.

"Why are we here, Kayura?" Une asked, half-cautiously. "What is it that you wanted to show me?"

Kayura turned to Une, her eyes solid. "Something that Anubis spoke to me about during my vision involves you. It wasn't until later on that I realized this."

"Realized what?"

"You will know everything I know soon enough, but first you must enter the cave." Stepping aside, Kayura bent the Staff toward the entrance. "If I'm correct, you will be tested."

Une took a few steps forward, peering into the cave. There appeared to be no dangers, but given everything that has happened over the past couple of days, she had to be ready for the unexpected. Glancing over to Kayura, she asked one more question.

"For what?"

"Darkness."

Une kept her eyes on her a bit longer, but when it became clear that Kayura wouldn't say anything more, she returned her sights to the cave. She didn't know what to think and she honestly didn't like to enter into a situation without some knowledge as to what she was getting into. But she sensed there was something vital, something important to this. That, and the fact that the cave seemed to be...calling to her...

With a mental nod, the Preventor Commander entered into the darkness of the cave, making her way toward the illumination that emanated from within. As she passed by the stalactites around and above her, she grew closer to the light. She couldn't make out what was at the end of it, but that didn't stop her.

What _did_ stop her was a single form that seemed to have emerged from the surrounding shadows and step in from of her path. Une couldn't make the person out at first, but she could tell that the person was female. _'Was it an agent of the Dynasty?'_ Somehow, she didn't think so, for she also sensed a familiarity with it. And when the light dimmed enough for her to make it out clearly, she soon saw why, with open shock.

It was her...

Only, not her... The Lady Une that stood before her was in a full OZ uniform with her hair tied behind her and glasses on her face. This was the Lady Une that had commanded the OZ military forces with ruthlessness and brutal tactics. This was her...darkness...

And it... she was holding a gun at her...

--

Outside the forest area, a team of Preventors were in wait for their commander and Kayura to return. After the crash-landing of the Sunstreamer, it was decided that they continue on foot to the forest location with the Celestials. The Sunstreamer hadn't crashed far, so getting there wouldn't be a problem. Sally and a few Preventors remained on the ship to help treat the injured while Howard and his crew worked to repair the battered ship. And with Kayura and Une going on ahead, that left Hilde, Dorothy, and Quatre in wait, along with an unconscious Phoenix whom they had to carry there.

"Is something wrong, Hilde?"

Just outside the camp area, Quatre had found Hilde seated upon a boulder and gazing up toward the sky. Being raised in the colonies, she never really had a quiet moment to see the Earth like this. But it was because of the quiet that something else preoccupied her mind at this moment.

"Not really. I'm just missing Duo right now, that's all."

"Don't worry." Quatre replied, sitting next to her. "I'm sure wherever Duo is, he's safe."

"I know he is. I mean, I _really_ know." Those last words came out with such certainty that and she was surprised by Quatre's questioning gaze. "It almost like...I can feel him out there somewhere." She then chuckled lightly to herself. "It sounds weird, I know."

"No, no. I think I can understand that much." Their experiences as Celestial warriors left very little to question when it came to such things. And even before this, Quatre's ability to feel the Soul of Outer Space works on the same principal.

"So, have you stopped worrying about her yet?"

The sudden question caught him off-guard. "Huh?"

"About Miss Dorothy." She turned and looked over at the said woman who was standing alone aside from the Preventors. "You've been watching her ever since we left the Sunstreamer. I thought you were just being cautious, but you had that look."

"That...look...?"

"That's what Duo calls it." she chuckled again. "A look in your eyes when you're worried about something or when you blame yourself for something. You've done it a couple of times before, so I know what it looks like."

Quatre lifted an eyebrow. "I...have a look?"

"Mmhm." she nodded. "So what's up?"

Quatre sighed as his eyes moved to look at Dorothy as well. It was true; he had been watching her since the ship. He had even moved to talk to her before he came to Hilde, but he sensed that she wanted to be alone right now.

"I just wished she stayed with the ship. That last time she got hurt...it was because of me." His eyes lowered sadly. "And so much happened afterward to her because of that. I don't want her to get hurt again, especially not because of me."

Hilde was silent for a moment, careful to take in everything that he said before answering. "Even if that is true Quatre, wasn't it you who helped her back? Don't sell yourself short."

Quatre let out a small smile before his eyes drifted over to Dorothy once again. As strong and as independent as she was, he knew things could quickly swing out of control for them at any time and she could very easily become vulnerable. He would do everything he could to make sure that didn't happen, but would it be enough?

"You're still worrying." Hilde said in sing-song. When he looked back at her, she chuckled. "I guess you really can't help it."

"No." Quatre smiled to her again. "I guess I can't."

Suddenly, their vision began to dim out into fog. They both blinked and rose up, soon realizing that it wasn't just their vision; a fog had indeed settled in around them. Needless to say, the Dynasty was here. Gleaming red eyes shone through the fog and the armored minions strode out in appearance, all armed and surrounding them.

"Well, this is a problem." Hilde muttered; her fists already clenched at her sides.

Quatre however, noticed something else. "They're trying to cut us off from the others. We have to regroup quickly before they separate us completely."

"Then we'll need to use... _**Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!**_"

"_**Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!**_"

Fully armored, the two Celestials charged into battle, but even as it started, the soldiers had already done their part of the plan. By making it seem as though they w ere cutting off the Celestials from the Preventors, they had in fact managed to cut off the two groups from Phoenix, who lay still and away from the fighting. And just as well too, for then, a new figure emerged from the dense mist, eyes glowing in a deeper crimson than the soldiers; eyes that were now trained on the prone dark Celestial.

_Sectres..._

--

Une stood paralyzed as she stood face to face with her past self. She barely remembered what she looked like before, but she knew the things that she had done in this persona. Was that what this was? Her past catching up to her, to remind her that no mater how much good she tried in this time, that she would still be tied down by the sins of the past?

_"I am like a body that has lost its soul..."_

She told those words to Relena once, just before giving her the chance to avenge her father. But even though Relena refused, that hadn't helped her as much as she would have wanted. She had caused so much pain, so much suffering to others that she didn't know if she could ever make it back up. Her eyes closed. Perhaps she couldn't. Perhaps she was still lost a soul...

"Yes." The other Une whispered harshly, bringing the gun to her counterpart's forehead and slowly squeezing the trigger. "You are lost. So let's be done with it here."

**BANG!!**

The dark Une was now surprised, as the Preventor commander had quickly reached up, grabbed her wrist and shoved it away just as she fired, sending the bullet elsewhere. The dark Une glared at her counterpart, who was still holding her arm.

"No. I will not give up my life that easily." Une's eyes opened in fierce determination. "Not without a fight."

Within a breath's notice, Une had balled up her fist and slammed it against the face of her dark counterpart, knocking the glasses off and sending her to the ground. As she lay still on the ground, Une stared down at the glasses, which had been shattered from the impact.

_'That is what Master Trieze taught me.'_

"You have done it."

Blinking, Une turned behind her to see Kayura come in from behind. She turned back in order to be ready in case her dark counterpart decided to attack, but she was gone. Une frowned inwardly at this and returned her gaze to Kayura who came up before her.

"Lady Une, a true child of the clan of the Ancients."

--

_'Mmhh...uhh...that...sound...fighting...'_

Slowly, the eyes of Phoenix lid open to the sounds of battle. Her vision was blurry, partly because of mist, but she was able to just make out a form looming over her. There was a gleaming flash of red and something ...something edging away from her briefly...something...danger...coming down fast...

_'A weapon!'_

Reacting on pure instinct alone, Phoenix jumped away and rolled on the grass floor. Her head throbbed from her sudden movement, but her vision began to clear more to see around. She was near trees, a forest it seemed. And her assailant was a Dynasty warrior, shrouded in pitch-black armor and wielding what appeared to be a heavy forked knife.

"Sectres."

The shadowy warrior gave no reply and simply lunged at her, weapon in stabbing form. Phoenix dodged to the side and Sectres pressed the attack, slashing in pursuit. Phoenix managed to barely avoid the second attack and was completely floored by the sharp kick that followed after, knocking her back through the air

"Ghh!"

Phoenix's body hit a tree with a hard thump and she slumped down to the ground. Sectres approached her, taking in her condition. She was still weak from the last battle and had yet to regain much of her strength. That was no surprise really; after all, it was for this reason, this weakness that he was to watch her for anyway.

"What...is the meaning...of this...Sectres?" Phoenix hissed, attempting to rise from the ground.

Sectres continued to close in, yet answered. "Weakness is not a part of the Dynasty. Therefore, you are to be eliminated."

With a whoosh of wind, Sectres charged at her again. Phoenix forced herself to rise and to her credit, she managed to block his kick this time. But that defense took a greater toll out her that she though and she was too slow to prevent him from slashing his dagger across her breastplate armor.

"Ahhh!"

Phoenix staggered back, her armor flashing wildly from the damage and soon disappearing altogether, leaving her in her sub-armor which still bore the mark of Sectres' attack. Falling to one knee and struggling to remain conscious, Phoenix sneered at the Dynasty warrior.

"Nanashi...will...not let this...insolence...go unpunished..."

This elicited a dark chuckle from the Dynasty assailant. "It is Lord Nanashi's direct command that you be disposed of should your weakness prove to be a liability. And your performance in your last battle was more than enough to warrant your termination."

As Phoenix's face shifted to complete shock, Sectres took this moment to finish her off, stabbing at the fallen Celestial once again. But his weapon was halted suddenly by another blade, one longer and more elegant. A katana... held by one of the Celestial Warriors.

Hilde of the Crystal...

"Back off, ugly!"

Sectres snarled and try to press his attack, but Hilde weapon held him off firmly, forcing him to back away sharply. Hilde took her position between Phoenix and Sectres, crossing her swords in defense as she did.

"Stand aside, Crystal." Sectres spoke warningly. "This doesn't concern you."

Hilde retorted. "I don't think so. I think you better leave before it's too late."

The Dynasty warrior chuckled. "You don't scare me, little girl. I am more than capable of dealing with you."

Hilde shut her eyes briefly and strangely enough, she smirked. "Just because you ambushed an injured person doesn't mean you can beat me. And I'll prove it right now."

"Impetuous child!"

Sectres made a mad dash toward the Celestial, aiming for the midsection. Hilde returned the charge, meeting with his knife before he could come close and then deflecting it. She then followed that up with a slice counterattack, to which Sectres ducked and flipped away from. Hilde pursued him, much to his surprise and he was forced to back off again, with the female Celestial in continuous pursuit.

From behind, Phoenix could only watch in amazement as Hilde fought off Sectres. Hilde had stepped in to defend her, an enemy that would not have done the same if their places were reversed. She didn't understand why she would even do something like this. But she could no more understand that than she could understand why Nanashi ordered her destruction.

Meanwhile, Sectres was forced back once again by Hilde's attacks. The Celestial apparently wasn't bluffing about her talents and catching him off-guard made to further this awkward situation. But he could still make due. Phoenix was in no condition to run or fight, so all he had to do is get past Crystal. Leveling his knife, Sectres spoke to his opponent

"You're good. But I don't have time to play these games with you anymore."

As he said this, glints of light began to form around him. Hilde looked at them curiously as they multiplied and soon she was surprised when they took the form of numerous of sharp energy blades; all shaped the same way as his knife, which was glowing in his grip.

"So it's time to end this!"

With a heavy press forward, Sectres unleashed the knife swarm upon the Celestial. Hilde looked as they came at her from all side, with no way to escape harm. Closing her eyes for only a moment, she mentally pleaded. _'Armor of Crystal. Guide me...'_ Her eyes snapping open, her arms crossed each other and as the energy knives closed in, Hilde slashed out in a fury.

"Yahhhh!!"

Her armor's power manifested in her swing, the blades letting off frozen air, and in lashing out with both sword in a circular motion, the air froze the incoming projectiles and stopped all them solid. Sectres was astonished. _'She stopped them all in one swing? But how?'_ Seeing his stunned expression, Hilde gazed over at him, all the while rotating her swords to bring them back. The cold air around them began to thicken, chilling the ground around Sectres

"You're absolutely right. _**Armor of Crystal! Arctic Flame!"**_

With a slash of one of her swords, Hilde unleashed a wave of cold energy, instantly freezing Sectres as well as much of the forest terrain. Then she brought forth the second blade in attack, causing the ice to explode in a flash of energy. Sectres let out a loud cry as he began to crumble within to attack.

"GUUUUUUAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"

From her place in the back, Phoenix had watched the scene with awe. Though her wounds were causing her to fall back into unconsciousness, she had witnessed the strength and skill that the Celestial displayed. She didn't have these abilities before and her movements were now almost akin to Phoenix's, graceful and dance-like. Darkness soon began to overtake her vision, but just before she blacked out completely, she saw the blurred image of Hilde coming toward her.

"...Are you okay...?"

--

Une stared at the approaching Kayura, who had stopped in front of her after the dark counterpart had mysteriously vanished into thin air. Une didn't like to be confused; as a soldier and a commander, it was a condition she was rarely ever in and usually worked hard to avoid in the first place. So her being confused equaled her in a really sour mood; one she made sure the warrior priestess was well aware of.

"You are going to tell me what just happened here, Kayura."

Ignoring her tone, Kayura answered sagely. "To those of the clan of the Ancients, this cave is a special and sacred place. Because of this, we are tested in order to face our own darkness and to see whether we are strong enough to overcome it. And in doing so, show that the light is greater than the darkness and thereupon enter in."

It took a moment for Une to process this and then blinked. "We?"

"Long ago, the clan of the Ancient Ones, the guardians of this realm, was massacred." Kayura stepped beside her, facing toward the light at the center of the cave. "At the time, it was believed that only I and Anubis were the last of that clan to survive. But you..." She turned to Une with a direct look. "You are a descendant of the same clan and thereby, an Ancient One yourself."

The silence was long this time, with Une stunned at this proclamation. 'A...Ancient One...?' It wasn't that it was hard to believe, but simply that she wasn't sure what that meant. Simply, she had a special heritage, but what did it mean? This would take time for her to reflect on, but at least Kayura was there to help her understand it. Looking back at Kayura, she then noticed the sad expression slowly crossing her features.

"What is it?"

"I watched your trial." Kayura half-whispered, not turning to face her. "I understand what you are going through, the secret fear of darkness within you. Once, as Talpa's servant, I aided his tyranny and his attack on the mortal realm. And it cost the life of one that I would consider a brother to bring me to the light."

Her eyes soon shifted over to the headpiece of the Staff and she continued speaking, working to suppress the memory as she did. "It pains me still. But I learned that I could not let it take control of me. And so, I decided to fight, and to continuing fighting the darkness, whether it is the Dynasty, Nanashi, or...

"Our own doubts and fears." Une finished.

Kayura gave her a solemn nod as she turned back to her. They were the last of clan and thus responsible for the safety of this realm. Oddly enough, they had already been doing that, but in different ways. One as the commander of a peacekeeping organization and the other, the leader of the group that protects the borders of realms. Now they would work together to fight against a threat that neither could handle on their own.

"We better go. We must return to the others now."

Une began to head toward the exit, but Kayura halted her for a moment. When Une turned to her, she was somewhat surprised that Kayura was handing her the Staff. Une gave her a questioning glance, but Kayura simply smiled.

"As long as an Ancient One wields it, you'll have its power by right of heritage. And I think you'll need it more than me."

Glancing at the artifact, Une couldn't help but feel its pull. She had always felt it, but now she knew why. It belonged to her as it belonged to Kayura, Anubis, and all the Ancient Ones prior to them. Without even realizing it, Une lifted her hand and took hold of the Staff, releasing it from Kayura's grip. The connection was immediate, as Une finally understood why she had always held on to it before this time. This was a part of her.

_Lady Une of the clan of the Ancients..._


	65. Chapter 64

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 73

-

On the open roadway, Mia and Cye rode in the jeep while Sage and Yuli rode atop Whiteblaze, who ran alongside the vehicle. The group was now in search for Kento, who was at rest in a boulder named the 'Throne of the Gods' on the top of the mountain. It was good news that they were able to reach Sage and Cye in time and they hoped that their luck would continue in retrieving Kento and Rowen. But the bad news was lying in the back of the jeep in sore straits. Ryo was still unconscious from his battle with Shiva. Although the worse of his injuries was healed by his armor, he had yet to regain much of his strength.

"How is he?" Mia asked when Cye turned to check on Ryo.

Bringing his head back, Cye answered. "He's still out, but his breathing appears relaxed. I think he's just resting now."

Mia nodded, but kept her eyes on the road. Cye noticed that she seemed a little too focused on driving and it occurred to him that she never once looked back at Ryo herself. For her, that was odd, since she seemed the most protective of Ryo out of all of them.

"Are you alright, Mia?"

The woman nodded, but said nothing as she drove on, causing Cye to worry even more. Was she upset because Ryo was hurt? It was bad, but it wasn't anything new. More than the others, Ryo seemed to have a habit of taking punishment from enemies, sometimes due to his recklessness. But it also showed that he was not afraid to take that damage, especially when it came to helping his friends. It was this fearless streak that made him the unofficial leader of the Ronin Warriors. But it also caused them to worry about his well-being after fights like this. And it appeared that that was what Mia was dealing with right now.

**SKRREEEEEEE!!**

The jeep suddenly screeched loudly as Mia slammed her foot on the brakes. Surprised, Cye's head nearly flew forward, but he didn't hit the dashboard due to the safety of the seat belt. Looking up at Mia, he saw her eyes were now wide and still facing forward and upon turning himself, Cye saw why.

"Heheheheheheh!"

Standing in the midst of the road barring their path were the dark Warlords, Kale, Dais and Sekmet. The roar of Whiteblaze could be heard as Sage and Yuli caught up and Cye and Mia exited the vehicle. Sage and Cye soon grouped together, with Whiteblaze to the side and Yuli joining Mia behind, all the while the three Warlords still chuckling evilly at them.

"Submit to Nanashi or die."

"We'll never join the likes of Nanashi, so forget it." Cye replied.

Sekmet began to slowly draw his swords. "Then you have chosen to die."

"Don't count on it." Sage countered. Giving Cye a glance, the two nodded and simultaneously shouted. "_**Armor of Halo! Tao Chi!**_"

"_**Armor of Torrent! Tao Shin!**_"

The swirls of armor-loom formed around them and shattered around them, forming into the armor of Halo and the armor of Torrent upon the two respectively. Weapons drawn, the two faced down their Dynasty opponents.

"Very foolish, Ronin rodents." Kale mocked. "How long do you think you can stand against the three of us?"

Sage gave no signs of backing down. "Guess we'll find out, won't we?"

"So be it!"

And so the battle began...

--

"Wow... It's like a dream..."

The Preventor team had finally entered into the cave of the Sacred Pool, where Hilde spoke the earlier sentiment. In front of them, Kayura and Une stood by the water's edge while everyone else spread out from behind, taking in the serene atmosphere. Phoenix, who was unconscious from the earlier battle, was carried in by the remaining Preventor officers.

"So now what?" Dorothy questioned.

As if in answer, the Staff of the Ancients began to glow and the traits of the three Celestials along with it. Kitan -Faith-, Kitai -Hope-, Ai -Love-. On the ceiling of the cave, the same three traits shone and beamed down lights all around the pool. All the while, Une felt a pull on the Staff and it seemed to be drawing her to the center of the pool. Une looked over at Kayura, who nodded shortly to her.

"Don't worry. Let it guide you."

Une nodded back and began to wade into the water toward the center light. As she did, Kayura directed Hilde and Quatre to the surrounding lights and told them to go to them as well. But before he did, Quatre helped carry Phoenix over to her light and it was then that she awoke.

"Where...am I?"

"The Sacred Pool." Kayura answered. "...The place where all the armors were born."

Phoenix gritted her teeth in an effort to resist, but her body was too spent to even try. Regardless of this, she threatened. "I don't know what you hope to gain in bringing me here, but you will fail. Nanashi will destroy you all."

"If that is true, then your fate will be no different than ours." Kayura stated simply.

"That doesn't matter." And it was here that the tone of her voice became something akin to...sadness. "I have failed...him."

"No. You haven't." Quatre replied softly. "There's still a chance for both you and Zechs. And this is it."

Phoenix's eyes widened at this and she remained quiet as they brought her to the light beam and settled her down. Quatre soon began to move over to his station, but caught a glimpse of Dorothy staring at him. He wasn't sure what she may have been thinking, but he thought he may have seen admiration in her eyes.

_'Maybe my imagination...'_

Soon the three were placed in the light beams, as Une reached the center of the pool and the light there as well. Une gazed up at the light, letting her body be bathed in the warm glow. It was here that her hands began to move the Staff, lifting it high up at first and then swirling it around. She felt herself fall into a trance and her body soon moved automatically, waving the Staff around in the light in dance-like motions. As this happened, Hilde, Quatre and Phoenix began to rise up into the light, their armors materializing into form above them. All the others watched the scene in awe.

_'Okay.'_ Kayura thought as she watched Une. _'This is it...'_

--

_**Krssshhhh! Shhkkkk!**_

The eyes of Ryo slowly opened to the sounds loud cries and clashing metal. A battle...? Slowly he lifted his body up, despite the great soreness and pain it took him to do so. It didn't take a genius for him to realize that he was in the back of Mia's jeep, probably since his hectic battle against Lady Shiva.

_'Shiva... Cye!'_

Ignoring the pain completely, Ryo turned his attention toward the window and the outside world. It was then that he saw the source of the sounds. They were no longer by the Toyoma Sea, but in the middle of a roadway. And in the background, Ryo saw the battle taking place. Sage and Cye were fighting in a heavy battle against the three dark Warlords and to their credit, they were holding their own.

Since they were short in the numbers department, the two Ronins worked together, engaging the Warlords one by one in simultaneous quick attacks, hitting their targets hard and then breaking off to face another one. While this strategy kept the Warlords off of them, it also cost them to use up more of their energy. And the Warlords continued to press them, recovering quickly enough to shorten the time they had to fight. Ryo saw the deep exhaustion on their faces and soon exited the vehicle, fists clenched.

"Ryo."

Looking up to the side, Ryo saw Mia and Yuli standing behind Whiteblaze. Mia was surprised and partially relieved by his revival, but that changed when she saw his tightened fists.

"No, Ryo. You can't. You're still too weak."

"I have to, Mia. They need my help."

Ryo began to stagger toward the battlefield, but a hand soon grabbed his arm, stopping him. Turning, he saw the near-teary eyes of Mia. Holding his arm with both hands, she pleaded.

"No! You could die."

Ryo paused for a moment, far longer in his mind. She was right on this. Given his severely weakened condition, the odds of him getting through the battle were against him. But he knew that if he didn't, then Sage and Cye would pay the price. He couldn't let that happen to his friends. He had to go.

_He was a Ronin Warrior..._

"Mia... I'm sorry..."

Eyes shutting, Ryo broke away from Mia and sped away, ignoring the pain both in his body and in his heart for doing so. Focusing on the battle to come, Ryo leapt into the air and summoned his armor and power.

_**"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"**_

All five combatants looked in surprise as the fiery Ronin entered the battlefield from above. Unsheathing his blades, Ryo stood next to his comrades ready to fight.

"Mind if I crash this party?"

"Well, well." Sekmet hissed. "Another Ronin has come to die."

Turning an eye toward Sage, Ryo asked. "How are you guys holding up?"

"We've seen better days." Sage grunted. But what about you? Are you sure you can fight?"

"I'll manage. Don't worry."

Both Sage and Cye looked at him worriedly now. They knew the damage Ryo had taken earlier was bad and they knew that he couldn't have been at full or even at half strength. But as it stood, they had no other options now. If it was possible for them to deal with the three Warlords, they would have. Whether they liked it or not, Ryo's presence had definitely improved their odds. And if Ryo could hold on long enough, perhaps they could deal with Warlords enough for them to retreat.

Perhaps...

--

Within the cave, the Preventor group continued to watch as Une continued to spin and whirl the Staff around in the light within the center of the pool while the three Celestials around her hovered up into the air glowing. As if the scene wasn't spectacular enough, soon the water itself began to rise, swirling and spiraling in columns around the Preventor commander.

Kayura watched the scene with more than just amazement. She seemed to know every move Une was making or going to make in her 'dance'. But she had allowed Une to proceed, wanting her to take up the legacy of the Ancient Ones. With Une around, Kayura would be able to work more freely to fulfill her own promise of reaching the Warlords and fighting with the Ronins and Celestials in breaking Nanashi's hold on them. As she thought this, she noticed Une's pattern of dance that was coming up.

"Now."

In the pool's center, Une began to move faster, spinning the Staff above her head in rapid motions. At this, the light from all four sources began to intensify, lightly up the cave more so than before. Dorothy and a few others had to shield their eyes from the light, but continued to watch. Suddenly, Une stopped moving altogether and it seemed as though time stood still.

"Hyyaaaaahhhh!"

In a cry that caught everyone by surprise, Une stabbed the Staff down into the water, sticking it into the earth beneath it. At that moment, the Staff itself shone and a beam of light flailed up toward the ceiling and separated into the three hovering Celestial armors. The armors shone in the brilliant light and the cave soon became nothing, but white light. Outside the cave, a beam of light soared into the sky and toward a single direction...

--

On the roadway battle, the Warlord and Ronin continued with their battle to the finish. The good news was that with one less Warlord to deal with, they were taking on their separate opponents easier. Sage and Kale were focused on one another while Sekmet dueled with Cye. The bad news was just as everyone feared; Ryo hadn't recovered enough and was getting seriously hammered by Dais.

"Yahhhahhaaa!"

With his nunchuku, Dais bashed in against the Ronin of fire, knocking him into and then through a nearby tree. Ryo staggered to rise and to his credit, he managed to come up fully on both feet. Dais slowly approached him and Ryo lifted his sword in defense.

"Why do you make this more painful for yourself, Ronin? Give up to Nanashi and end your suffering."

Ryo was too worn to retort at the moment and simply waited for Dais to attack again. He knew that he wouldn't be able to win a battle against any of the dark Warlords, but he hoped that he could buy Cye and Sage time to win their own battles without interruption. He trusted that they would do their part, so he had to fulfill his own and keep the matches one-on-one.

Even if it turned him into a living punching bag...

"...Never..."

In response to his reply, Dais lunged forward with a sharp kick, nail Ryo right on the side. But despite this and the pain that followed, Ryo had managed to grab hold of his leg and with a cry, he smashed his fist right into the Warlord's armored face.

"Grrhhaahhh!"

Dais fell backward into the dirt, giving Ryo a minute to recover. That punch was out of desperation, but it appeared that it had worked at least for the moment. He knew he had to press on, but he was so far past fatigued that his body was a combination of numbness, aches, and pain. The Warlord was beginning to rise and Ryo knew he had to act.

_'Come on, Ryo. Move it!'_

Slowly, he connected his swords together and struggled to call forth his armor's power. The connected blades slowly sparkled with power and Ryo lifted them over his head. Dais was now on his feet, with his back turned. 'It's now or never!'

_**"Armor of Wildfire! Flare...!"**_

Suddenly, Dais was gone and in his place were Mia and Yuli in front of the jeep. The two turned to him with horrified expressions and Ryo stopped his attack immediately. And it was then that he was struck on the back and slammed into the ground. The images of Mia and Yuli vanished and Ryo looked around to see Dais behind him, his morning star weapon retracting back onto his arm.

_'Guaah... An illusion...'_

Dais chuckled as he closed in on the fallen Ronin, whose armor had retreated and left him in his sub-armor. Ryo was finished and they both knew it. He had surprised him with that punch to the face and Dais used his illusion to allow him recovery time as well as force Ryo to use up the last of his strength. Reaching back, Dais unhooked his Chin-Lin-Tao and lifted the multi-bladed weapon high.

"Farewell, Wildfire!"

The blades came down, but stuck a blur of white instead and were followed by a pained, but angry roar. Dais frowned upon seeing Whiteblaze block his finishing blow to the Ronin, but the tiger held his place, growling all the while. Ryo soon found himself being lifted up from behind by Mia and Yuli.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Helping you out, Ryo." Yuli answered, trying to support Ryo from beneath his arm.

"Useless." At this point, Dais had edged closer to the small group. "No one can save him now."

They were all cornered and they knew it. Ryo was far past being able to help them and Whiteblaze would not be able to protect them all from the Warlord's wrath. But then, the Jewel of Life began to spiral and glow around Yuli's neck. At that that same moment, a beam of light descended from the sky and down toward the youth, striking the Jewel as it spun.

"What is this?"

The jewel then shot out it own light-beams, striking both Dais and Ryo. Ryo's face turned to shock as he felt an incredible force fill his entire being. Without even calling it forth, his armor returned and encased itself around him in a bright glow. The trait of Jin -Virtue- shone on his forehead and Ryo felt all his strength return to him.

"Whoooaaaaa!"

The Warlord seemed to be going through the reverse effect, though his armor glowed as well. Dais had grasped his head and shook it almost violently, as if in deep pain. Loud moans and groans came from him as he bent down to in an effort to rid himself of his pain. His armor trait Nin –Serenity-, shone upon his forehead as well.

"Grrraaaahhh!"

Soon, beams of light escaped both their body, trailing into the distance where the other four fought and connected with them. Just like with Ryo and Dais, Sage and Cye felt surges of power fill them while Kale and Sekmet was brought down to their knees in pain. Beams of light escaped their bodies and rocketed away, fading into the skies.

"Ryo, are you okay?"

"Fine." He rose to his feet, all traces of his previous injuries gone. "Better than ever actually." _'Different...'_

The Warlord was now backed away against a tree; unable to stop whatever it was that was disrupting him. He couldn't even think of fighting now as his armor trait seemed to be in conflict with the darkness power within him.

"What's...happening...to...me...?"

Dais soon vanished in a haze of shadow, leaving the group alone. They walked out of the tree land area and back on the road where they found Sage and Cye arriving their as well, their opponents nowhere in sight.

"They just took off." Sage spoke before the others could ask. "What do you think happened?

Mia answered him. "It must have been Kayura. She and the others must have found the three armors they needed."

"Talk about a turnaround." Cye sighed in relief. "And it couldn't have come at a better time too."

"Hey, look up there."

Looking at Yuli, they found the boy pointing up into the sky. Tracing the direction, they saw a single object descend from the skies and heading full speed to the ground. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was a human figure. _An armored human figure..._

"Is that...Heero?"

But he wasn't the only one. In various locations, the sealed Ronins began awakening from the resting places. The Celestial too, descended from the skies off wherever they may have been, falling to the Earth. It was almost identical in appearance to the pilot's Operation Meteor, only instead of gundams, the Celestials were returning to earth.

The final conflict would soon begin...


	66. Chapter 65

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 74

-

_Roadway_

The Ronins, Mia and Yuli were now a good distance away from where they had witnessed Heero falling from the sky in his Celestial armor. It took them a while to reach the area, during which they had make the rest of the way on foot since the area led up a forest hill. As they moved on, they talked about the power surge that had not only revitalized them, but stopped the Warlords at the same time.

"I think it was Kayura and the others." Mia answered. "They must have reached the three armors they spoke about."

"Great." Cye replied. "We could use some good news right about now."

Sage shook his head. "I hate to spoil it for you, Cye, but that only gives the Dynasty open targets now."

That was true. Now that they were free, that meant that they were on their own. And with the increased attacks the Dynasty was unleashing as of late, their isolation could be the end of them or worse, they become Nanashi newest slaves.

"That just means we have to reach them fast before they do." Ryo affirmed.

"Huh?"

The group stopped when they heard Yuli's questioning remark from behind and found him searching around the trees in confusion.

"Where's Whiteblaze?"

The group blinked and looked around each other only discover what Yuli said was true and that Whiteblaze was nowhere in sight. "Wasn't he just here?"

Placing his fingers to his lips, Ryo let out a loud whistle, a call to his white tiger. But there was no response. That was really odd for Whiteblaze to take off in such a manner and even stranger that he wouldn't respond. Worry quickly crossed over Yuli's face.

"You don't think something's happened to him, do you?"

"Probably not." Ryo answered. "Maybe he just went on ahead." Glancing over at Yuli, he added. "Don't worry."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

Returning their attention back to the situation, Mia continued. "Well, if Heero did fall here, then he must be somewhere around."

"We better find him before the Dynasty does." Cye replied.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and Ryo added on. "Yeah. No need for those jerks to come around."

"Now that's not very nice."

The entire group immediately froze at the sound of the voice and they turned to look upward in the trees in search for the source. There, standing aloft on one of the branches, was the masked, golden haired woman warrior of the Dynasty.

"Calling us jerks. You might hurt my feelings, Wildfire."

"Lady Shiva!"

Immediately, Shiva dove off the branch and landed before them. The Starlight swords glistened in her hands as she looked over the group through veiled eyes.

"Hmm. Three this time. This will make for good sport." Her eyes zeroed in on Ryo. "I hope you're ready, Wildfire, because this time when you fall, you won't get back up."

"We'll see about that. _Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!_"

"Armor of Torrent! _Tao Shin_!"

"Armor of Halo! _Tao Chi!_"

Shiva chuckled. "Showtime, boys!"

--

_Sacred Pool_

The group standing around the pool soon removed their hands from their eyes as the light from Une's dance ritual faded away. The commander herself continued to stand in the middle of the pool, the Staff of the Ancient stabbed into the waters before her. Above them, Quatre, Hilde and Noin, who were levitating within the pillars of light, slowly descended to the cave floor.

"Are you alright?" Kayura asked, gazing at Quatre first.

"I'm fine." he panted lightly.

Kayura nodded and repeated the question to Hilde, who seemed to be out of breath as well, but not in any pain. "Yeah. Wow, talk about a rush."

Kayura then turned to Phoenix, who was breathing raggedly like the others. But her face, her eyes had a saddened expression as she simply remained placed on the ground. Quatre rose up and moved beside Kayura, seeing Phoenix's sad face.

"Miss Noin."

"I... I'm..."

With a gentle smile, Quatre placed a hand on her shoulder. There must have been a lot going through her mind right now, now that she was free from the Dynasty. The memories of what she had done as a dark Celestial had no doubt affected her.

"It's okay, Miss Noin."

Noin looked up at him and relaxed upon seeing his smile. Looking back at Kayura, she then asked. "What just happened?"

"The three Celestial armors were used to purify all the remaining armors." Kayura answered. "That purity has broken Nanashi's control over you."

"And the others?"

"We don't know." Quatre answered, knowing that she was thinking about one person in particular. "We can assume the same thing has happened to all the armors, so they're probably free as well.

"Not likely." Dorothy replied, stepping in. "Since Nanashi has them, they are probably his captives now."

A few faces frowned at her comment, but it didn't stop it from being true. At this point, Une had emerged from the waters and joined the rest and Hilde came up beside her.

"Well, what's the plan now?"

Noin's eyes leveled off to the distance. "I don't know...if there is anything you can do."

"What do you mean?"

"The dark comet." Noin explained. "Once every ten thousand years, it flies over the skies of both this world and the Nether realm. When the dark comet passes through the sky, a gateway will open, wide enough for Nanashi to invade the entire Earth Sphere."

"Yes." Quatre nodded. "Dorothy told us about it. At least about the comet opening a gateway."

But Noin shook her head. "But what you don't know is that the comet is nearly here. In fact, it will arrive in two days."

This new information shocked everyone. "Two days?!"

"Yes. Normally, it's not supposed to come for another month, but Nanashi managed to gather enough power to pull it into a sooner arrival."

"But how?" Quatre asked; disbelief still in his voice.

Guiltily, Noin lowered her eyes. "Those whom he...we captured. Nanashi feeds off their fear and despair and uses that power for himself."

"Just like Talpa." Kayura half-scowled.

Une added. "And with so many captured from the colonies... no wonder he was able to accelerate the comet's time."

"There's more." Noin continued, lifting her head up somewhat. "I haven't seen it, but Nanashi has been using these captives to build himself a new body, one that would use the Jewel of Light as its source."

"Mariemaia?" Une said in shock. "A new body?"

"How can we stop him?" Dorothy asked, also upset by the news.

"I...do not know." Noin answered. "All I know is that you'll need all the help you can get before the time comes. Nanashi has amassed a great army and intends to conquer everything."

The team digested this grim and startling news. In two days time, Nanashi would invade the Earth, with a body that would use Mariemaia as a weapon. And not only that, but they weren't at full strength, with the Warlords and some of the Celestials in Nanashi's grasp while the Ronins were out on their own mission. Both Ancients looked at one another and nodded with the same thought in mind. There wasn't a second to lose.

"We have to regroup with Ryo and the others immediately."

--

The clash of weapon and battle resounded throughout the entire forest and was followed by the soaring form of Ryo through the air, who managed to just recover from Shiva's attack. Despite the odds against her, Lady Shiva was doing a well job in hammering the Ronins left and right, much to their confusion. _'How can she have the advantage?'_ Sage thought as he struck at her with his no-dachi sword, only to have the attack deflected and a kick nailing him in the chest. Cye leapt over him and swung down hard with his trident. But Shiva sidestepped the attack, ran up the weapon itself and upon passing over Cye's back, kicked at the back of his head, sending him falling forward.

"Come on, guys." Shiva taunted. "Three on one shouldn't be this easy."

As she finished speaking, Ryo suddenly lunged out from where he had fallen earlier and attacked. Shiva's crossed her swords in defense and the blade clashed aloud, sending sparks of energy rippling and tearing into the ground.

"Nice. I can always count on you to make it interesting."

But Shiva forcefully separated from him, causing Ryo to back away unsteadily and exposed. And Shiva didn't miss her mark as she rushed toward him with impossible speed and slashed away at him, warping behind him as the effect of the slashes hit Ryo all at once.

"Guah!"

Ryo fell down to both his hands and knees, gasping for breath. His chest armor now sported several glowing slash marks from the Starlight Swords. Cye and Sage came to his side to prevent Shiva from attacking him further, but she kept her back to them.

"Ryo, are you alright?"

"Yeah." he wheezed, making his way back to his feet. "Just a little winded, that's all."

"I was honestly expecting a bit more from you guys, but it turns out that you're no fun at all." Lifting her blades up to her side, energy began to rapidly flare around her. Turning the side of her head toward them, she continued. "So I'm afraid I'll have to cut this and all your lives, short."

Hopping up, Shiva suddenly whirled around rapidly, sending a wave of intense energy at the group. The three all held up their weapons to defend, but even then they knew it wouldn't be enough, but with Mia and Yuli behind them, they couldn't risk them getting harmed in the attack. So they had no choice but to take the punishment

Fortunately, someone else had other ideas...

_**"Mirrored Edge!"**_

From out of nowhere, an armored figure leapt down from above and slashed forward with dual katana, creating a reflective barrier that impacted with the oncoming wave and stopped in its tracks. When the energy finally dissipated, the Ronins looked on at their savior.

"Heero!"

The Celestial lowered his weapons and silently faced Shiva, who stared back at him in the same manner. The Ronins moved beside him and readied themselves to fight Shiva once again. But then she began to chuckle.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Reflections. Now I can destroy you all at once."

The energy brimmed around her again, but this time, Ryo wasn't going wait for it. Connecting his blades together, Ryo raised them high, calling upon his armor's full power. Cye and Sage followed suit, with Cye pointing the trident at her and absorbing all the water around while Sage held his sword high and exploding in a pillar of light.

_**"Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up Now!"**_

_**"Armor of Torrent! Super Wave Smasher!"**_

_**"Armor of Halo! Thunderbolt Cut!"**_

The combined elements of fire, water and light all swarmed at the female warrior and engulfed her in an explosion of light and power. The entire area tore apart under the force as trees and grass were wiped away and thrown everywhere, leaving only a destroyed crater and path from where their attacks struck. However...

"My turn!"

The four looked up in surprise, seeing that not only had Shiva survived the attacks, but she had dodged them outright. Even from their view, they could see that there wasn't a scratch on her. And there was still a tremendous amount of energy built around her.

"Cry! _**Star Sword Scream!"**_

In a flash, bolts of crimson energy soared down toward the four warriors. Heero again stood in front and used his Mirrored Edge, but the force of the blast was too great and the barrier shattered up impact, striking them all.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The four warriors were blasted aside and a moment later, Shiva landed in their midst. But to her surprise, Heero slowly rose up to his feet and faced her once again. His armor was singed and he felt his strength was sapped away, but his solid expression gave no evidence that he was hurt at all.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you being the Perfect Soldier and all. You guys just don't know when to quit."

But surprise returned to her again as the armor of Reflections began glowing in brilliant light. Shiva backed away while behind her, the armors of Wildfire, Halo and Torrent were glowing as well. Shiva turned to see this and gasped. _'This can't be. They need five armors to create the Inferno.'_ But the energies soon rose and flew, but not to Ryo. The Ronin energies swooped directly to Heero, who was struck by their power. And if that wasn't surprising enough, from out of nowhere, a fourth bolt came in and struck him as well. Heero eyes widened at the surge of power and soon the image of a nova exploded into them.

With a loud cry, Heero crossed his arms briefly and sent them outward, shattering his armor and causing the armor of Nova to come into view. The armor soon became beams of light which spiraled around Heero and darkening his sub-armor. His arm gauntlets snapped on and as he crossed his arms in front of his body, a sphere of light exploded around him, endowing him with the white armor. Heero separated his arms, dispersing the light sphere and causing it to filter around him, revealing to all his new armor.

And the power that would come with it...

Shiva meanwhile, stood before the now super-powered Celestial with awe in her eyes. She had not seen the armor of Nova's first appearance as she was occupied with her battle with Mia. Power was literally radiating off of it, with the steady eyes of the former gundam pilot within. Something made her feel a little uneasy, but she was still going to destroy...

_'Shiva. Fall back.'_

Shiva blinked as she heard the mental command of her master. _"Master?"_

_'That is not a power you can take on yet. You will have another chance to destroy them, but in the meantime, return at once!'_

_"Yes master."_ Returning her attention to Heero, she smiled beneath her mask. "We'll have a dance soon, Reflections. But for now, I must be off."

A back aura swirled around Shiva and a step back later, she had vanished from view. At this point, the Ronins had moved in close to Heero, staring in amazement at the new armor that he wore. Just then, Whiteblaze or rather, Blackblaze, emerged from the forest woodland. And he was not alone, for riding on his back was the Ronin Warrior of strength and justice.

"Kento!"

Kento waved a hello to everyone as he came off of Blackblaze's back. "Hey guys. Ah man, looks like I missed a fight."

The team chuckled at his comment and Mia put everything together in her mind. Whiteblaze must have gone off to get to Kento while they were in search for Heero. And with Whiteblaze's success, they managed to find a fourth armor power to unite to form the armor of Nova_. 'So it is just like the armor of Inferno. It needs to power of four other armors to awaken.'_ Her thoughts were suddenly stopped when the armor of Nova dispersed, returning the armor of Reflections to Heero. But then, all four of them became shocked by a surge of energy, causing all of them to cry aloud in pain.

"Guaahhh!"

Yuli stepped back in shock. "What's happening?!"

The surge soon stopped, but the damage had been done and soon all five of them passed out and fell onto the floor. Mia, Yuli and Whiteblaze moved over to the downed warriors, trying to revive them. There were moans a minute later, indicating that they were still alive, but whatever had hit them and hurt them badly.

_'Nova...'_ Mia realized. _'It did this...'_

--

"Ugggh..."

Reviving within a crater in the sands of a beach, Rowen slowly lifted himself up to his feet and crawled out of the hole that had been made by his descent from the sky. The last thing he remembered was the battle in front of Nanashi's citadel and then briefly witnessing the fight between Ryo in the armor of Inferno and Heero in an all new armor he had never seen before. After that, nothing. Everything after that point was a blank. _'Where were the others? What happened?'_

_'Where...am I?'_


	67. Chapter 66

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 75

-

"Where...am I?"

The inner question was finally voiced on the lips of the Ronin of the Sky as he lifted himself up from a sandy crater. Examining his surrounding, he found that he had crashed in the middle of a beach; with the waves slamming upon the shore not too far from where he was standing. _'But how did I get there?'_ Looking back at the crater, he figured that he must have created it, which meant that he had crashed from the sky somehow. Focusing his thoughts, Rowen tried to think back to what had happened before this.

The battle at Nanashi's citadel...the armor of Inferno and that new armor...bright light...waking up here...

It was the same as when they had fought Anubis in their first battle and Talpa created that storm that sent them all across Japan, toward the Ronin armors resting places. The same thing must have happened again. So how was he awake now? And where are the others? Looking toward the shore, Rowen made his way toward solid land. He needed answers and he couldn't stay there for long. He didn't want to risk being found by...

And then a heavy mist formed around the area...

_'Great. Just what I don't need right now.'_

True to his dismay, surrounding him now was a large horde of Dynasty soldiers. The warriors of darkness were closing in on Rowen as he took in the situation. Taking the bow in his hand, Rowen jumped just as they lunged at him. Diving down, Rowen smashed the first one with a kick and then swung around to catch another one in the face with his bow, knocking it into a group of other soldiers and sending them all falling to the ground. The remaining soldiers charged again, but Rowen rammed the lead soldier with his shoulder, causing them crash back.

_'A little more...'_

Reaching back, Rowen caused a couple of arrows to materialize in his hand. Locking them all, but one into the bowstring, Rowen sent a storm of arrow fire toward the soldiers. Some were hit and fell to the ground while the rest dodged to the side were they can avoid the fire. But they had done what the young Ronin wanted by bunching themselves together.

_'Now!'_

Taking the sole arrow he had saved, Rowen set it in the bow and aimed. But more than that, he began to summon up the armor's power of the air element, infusing it right into the arrow and causing its point to sparkle and shine.

_**"Armor of Strata! Arrow Shock Wave!"**_

The release of the arrow was in an explosion of light and the arrow soared toward the soldiers in a beam of energy, tearing apart the ground as it flew toward them. The soldiers were unable to do anything against the attack and it blasted them and turned them into dust. When it cleared, Rowen took in the field and frowned slightly. Though his attack took out the greater portion of the attacking horde, there was still a few left that hadn't gotten caught in the attack.

_'Guess I better finish this up.'_

Loading another arrow, Rowen fired a shot at one of the soldier. But as he fired, Rowen heard the distinct sound of another soaring arrow and when his arrow took to the air, another one flew in from the opposite direction and collided with his. Both arrows skidded upon the sand and Rowen turned his attention to its bearer.

Cyclone, Dark Celestial of the Storms...

--

_Sunstreamer_

"Have you located Mia and the others yet?"

"Not yet." the Preventor officer answered Une while looking at a monitor display. "The GPS is not responding. Either they're out of range or it was disabled somehow."

"There is the possibility that they've been captured." Dorothy said from behind.

Quatre shook his head. "I don't think so, Miss Dorothy."

A single eye curved toward his direction. "What makes you say that?"

"I just feel...that they're still out there somewhere." He refrained from saying that it was the Soul of Outer Space that was telling him, as he wasn't sure how she would take it. Dorothy was silent for a moment and instead smirked at the Celestial.

"Well... who am I to argue with a man's feelings?"

"I think we may have another pressing matter." Sally interceded while holding up a paper document. "A Preventor satellite has shown three impact points in separate areas. But there was no sign of any meteor activity or space debris of any kind. Just a strange energy.

"What are you getting at?"

"This energy is the same as the power you guys use. I think these points were created by either Celestials or Ronins. Perhaps even both."

Quatre moved over to her and looked over at the report. "I think she's right. The timeline matches up with the ritual performed at...

"Duo?"

From the side, Hilde suddenly spoke out, her trait of _Ai_ -Love- flickering briefly on her forehead before fading away. Hearing her, Une turned to the young woman.

"What is it, Hilde?"

"I can feel him too." Quatre answered, with _Kitai_ -Hope- revealing itself on him as well. "Duo's close." Looking over at the document, he then confirmed it. "That's one of the impact points alright.

"Then let's go get him."

"If we know he's here, then it's a good bet the Dynasty does too. We should be cautious." Kayura warned. But then she asserted. "But we must reach him."

"Right."

--

"So that was the armor of Nova."

In Mia's jeep, Sage, Cye and Kento rode in with Mia as she drove down the road toward where they had seen Rowen fall from the sky. Beside them, Ryo and Yuli rode aboard Whiteblaze and on the opposite side; Heero was riding on a motorcycle he had 'borrowed' from a nearby town. As they rode on, Mia explained to the three Ronins of the new armor that had appeared upon the Celestial.

"It's seems to be as powerful as the Inferno armor." she wrapped up. "It takes the power of other armors to summon it."

"And it seems to have the same aftereffects too." Kento said, lifting a hand to his sore arm to show his point.

"I don't think so." Cye replied. "This felt...different. And usually the strain comes when the armor is summoned, not after."

Sage looked up thoughtfully. "Maybe it because Heero is using a different armor. Heero is a Celestial, not a Ronin. We may just need to get used to giving him our power."

"Yeah. And he has to learn how to control it too." Yuli added.

The Ronin of Light nodded to the young boy with a smile. "I just hope he can before we're attacked again. The Dynasty seems to be getting stronger each time we fight them."

"I think we should just focus on getting to Rowen." Mia said simply. "Hopefully, we can reach him before the Dynasty does."

--

_'Well, this just gets better and better...'_

Rowen stood alone, surrounded by the scattered remains of Dynasty soldiers and faced with the Dark Celestial, Cyclone. His own bow was set in his hand as he glared at Rowen. Rowen glared back. _'I've got a bad feeling about this.'_ He had heard about this particular Dark Celestial to know that this was not going to be an easy fight, especially since he was armed with the same weaponry as Rowen. Regardless of this, the Ronin of the Sky leveled his bow in stance in readiness. Cyclone did the same and the two remained still for a moment. And then, without even a moment's notice...

_Twpppp! Twpppp! Twpppp! Twpppp! Twpppp!_

The two archers unleashed a torrent of arrow fire upon each other, with many of the projectiles striking down the remaining Dynasty soldiers there. Evading the arrows that streamed at him, Rowen leaped back, took aim once more, and fired a single shot. Firing multiple arrows would work against multiple enemies, but when faced with a single opponent, a single arrow is best. The shot flew right toward Cyclone, but somehow, the attack was dodged. Cyclone returned the favor and sent back a single arrow of his own.

_'Whoa!'_

Rowen stepped back quickly to dodge the arrow and the whirled around when a second almost hit him too. _'This guy's good...'_ In mid-whirl, Rowen managed to pull out and arrow and after spinning, aimed and fired. Again the arrow went straight toward Cyclone, but for some reason, it didn't connect. And Cyclone didn't dodge or even attempt to dodge. _'What's going on here?'_ the Ronin thought as he dashed away from another stream of arrow fire. None of his shots were getting through while the Celestial was coming closer and closer to hitting him with his.

_'Something's wrong here.'_

Reaching into his quiver, Rowen took out a group of arrows and let them loose on Cyclone. As they neared, Rowen watched as each of the arrows suddenly veered away from the Celestial and struck away. 'He's repelling them somehow.' As if in answer, a black aura soon shimmered into view, flickering around Cyclone. The Dark Celestial finally spoke, in a shadowy voice.

_"You're no match for the power of the Dark Side."_

Rowen frowned again. _'So that's it.'_ He remembered how the power of the Dark Side increased the strength of the Warlords during the attack on Talpa's castle and it seemed that now, Cyclone was getting the benefits of that dark power as well. As Cyclone resumed his attacks on Rowen, the Ronin dashed away, trying to think a way out of this mess. His arrows were ineffective now, so there was no chance for beating him at long-range. And he couldn't use his Arrow Shock Wave again. If it missed, then Rowen would be drained of more energy. The only thing he could do is get in close and fight him at close range. But that would be a feat in itself seeing as how Cyclone's shots were so precise. A frontal attack would be the same as suicide. _'There has to be something I can do.'_

"Leave him to me."

Rowen blinked in surprise just as the water nearby erupted in a torrential explosion. Both warriors turned toward the sea to see the form of another armored warrior making his way out of the sea. Cyclone remained impassive, but Rowen was still in surprise at the arrival of the newcomer; whose voice he had recognized when he spoke before emerging out of the water. Armor of midnight blue with a sphere on his chest and wielding a dragon-spiral rapier. The Celestial of the Oceans...

"Wufei."


	68. Chapter 67

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 76

-

"Wufei..."

The Celestial of the Oceans looked out at the scene before him. Rowen was off to the side, and judging by his appearance, had been in fierce combat. No doubt it was against Cyclone, who stood to the opposite side with a neutral, but darkened expression on his face.

"How did you get here?" Rowen asked. "And where are the others?"

"I don't know." Wufei replied, looking over at the Ronin. "All I remember is falling into the water and coming up here."

Rowen nodded. "Same here. Except this guy and his friends came after me."

Wufei's gaze turned back to the dark Celestial, who was regarding him in return with a cold glare. Meanwhile, the mist around them began to thicken slightly and from within it lurked more Dynasty soldiers.

"Great." Rowen scowled as he looked around at them. "More of them."

Wufei's eyes hadn't left Cyclone as he brought forth his rapier. "You handle them. I'll take Trieze."

Rowen blinked and looked back at him. "Hold on. This guy is pretty tough. It would be better if we both..."

"No!" The sudden outburst brought Rowen to silence. "I'll face him alone. I have a personal score to settle with him."

Rowen couldn't help but frown. Given their situation and the lack of information, it would be better if they stuck together and fought. It would increase their odds of getting through this and learning just what the heck has happened to them. Rowen already guessed that they had been sent to the armor's resting spots, but how they revived and why was a mystery. To fight separately without further data could turn bad. But seeing the expression on the Celestial face, he was going to do things his way.

"Fine. But don't lose your head. We still need to find out what happened to the others."

Wufei glanced back at him for a second. "Don't worry." Returning his gaze back to Cyclone, he finished.

"I'll be just fine."

--

_Elsewhere_

_'Talk about your rude awakenings...'_

With a mighty swing of his scythe, Duo of Hellfire hacked apart a group of Dynasty soldiers that had attacked him. After his descent from the sky, Duo awoke to find himself surrounded by Dynasty soldiers. With no place to run or hide, the Celestial chose the option of fighting and he has been doing well for the past couple of minutes. But more began to swarm around him and he was beginning to tire out. Leveling his scythe, Duo began to spin it and call forth his full power.

_'Okay. Guess it's all or nothing then...'_

From behind him, some of the soldiers charged in to attack once again. Duo glared at them as he saw them approach, hoping he could turn his attack to their direction. But it was then that a chain soared out of the sky and smacked into them, knocking them down. Ceasing his attack, Duo looked up to see Kayura falling down from the sky, or rather, from a spacecraft that was just now hovering above him. Not only that, but three other figures were descending from the craft as well.

"Alright! The cavalry!" He then blinked. _'Is that...Noin?'_

True enough, Noin, along with Quatre and Hilde had all descended from the ship and immediately began fighting the Dynasty troops. With the element of surprise on their side, the four warriors quickly went through the soldiers in quick succession. Shrugging, Duo joined the fray, hacking away at the soldiers as he moved toward the team.

"Nice of you guys to show up." Diving into the midst of a group of soldiers, he swung his scythe in a wide arc, slashing them all. "Maybe you can explain to me what the heck happened?"

"It's a long story." Quatre answered, blocking an assailant's attack.

Duo pulled back his scythe as another set of soldiers poured on him. "Hey, I'm in no rush. Besides, I like hearing stories."

"It'll have to wait until after we have disposed of these minions, Hellfire." Kayura remarked, whirling about to bring down a few more soldiers with her kusuri-gama. Duo simply shrugged, leveling his scythe to his side once again.

"Yeah. These guys need a lesson in manners, courtesy from the Great Destroyer himself!"

_**SSSSSHHHHRRRRRRKKKKK!!**_

--

"Rahhh!"

Wufei lunged quickly at Cyclone with the rapier posed to impale. Rearing his bow back, Cyclone slapped the point of the blade away and backed up, but Wufei had been counting on that and used the deflection to whirl around and attack with an even faster stab. Cyclone had to jump away altogether this time and Wufei pursued him. It was evident that his skill with the rapier had improved greatly and the Celestial of the Sea found that he could use it just as well as his old saber.

Cyclone continued to jump away, all the while arming his bow with several arrows. Making another jump into the air, Cyclone let the projectiles fly. Wufei continued on through, slashing away at the arrows as he closed in him. The two clashed once more and this time, Cyclone didn't back away. Instead, he just loaded his bow and fired while they were locked, forcing Wufei to disengage and back away.

_"Die..."_

Now in retreat, Wufei continued to deflect the arrows coming at him. Unknowingly, he landed back into the water as the arrows flew at him. Holding his ground, Wufei deflected all the attacks, this time with ease. He almost asked himself how, but then realized that he was standing in the water.

The source of his armor's power...

On the dry sand, Cyclone made ready to launch a second set of arrows, but paused when he saw Wufei on the water's surface. Wufei saw this as well and both of them realized that the scales of favor had been heavily tipped toward the Celestial of the Seas. Surprisingly, Wufei didn't press the advantage and quietly strode out of the water and onto the beach again.

_'I'll keep this fair and square.'_

But no sooner than he stepped back onto the sand fully did Cyclone suddenly fire away at him again. Wufei hopped back, avoiding the arrows as they stabbed into the sand. Landing back, Wufei held up his rapier and made ready to charge, but suddenly a metal chain wrapped around his sword arm. Wufei turned in surprise as several other chains grabbed his other arm and legs. Looking around, he saw a few Dynasty soldiers were holding him in place.

"Get off of me!"

As he struggled with them, Cyclone armed his arrow once again and targeted him. But this time, the arrow began to swirl and build up tremendous energy. Wufei turned to see this and was shocked as the power of Cyclone soon became manifest.

_**"Roc Diver!"**_

The energized arrow swooped out from the bow, with the energy around it taking a bird-like form and screeching loudly toward its target. Wufei struggled more, trying to escape the chain lock, but the soldiers where holding him fast. Wufei growled as the energy bird veered ever closer.

_**"Armor of Strata! Arrow Shock Wave!"**_

From behind Wufei, a second energized arrow swooped down from the sky over Wufei's head and collided with the first. The resulting explosion was huge, so much so that the soldiers holding Wufei loosened their grip enough for him to get free. But instead of fighting, Wufei ducked, shielding himself from the incoming shockwave that was coming at them. The soldiers were too late as the wave hit them and wiped them off the beach. When the explosion and shockwave finally died down, Wufei lifted himself up, partially covered in sand and debris. Rowen came up beside him as they looked out at the scene. A massive crater stood before them, but no sign of the Dark Celestial.

"Sorry that was so close." Rowen apologized. "...but there was no other way."

Wufei nodded a thank you, but kept his gaze on the crater. Had that attack struck him, not only would it have severely crippled or killed him, but it would have also wiped out the soldiers that were holding him. He knew that Trieze was not the person to sacrifice his own soldiers, at least not this way. And though the soldiers were nothing but lifeless shells, they were still ruthlessly sacrificed.

_'No. You're not the Trieze Khusrenada I knew. You're just...a puppet of Nanashi now.'_

--

_Forest, Unknown_

Of the four stars that descended from the skies, one landed in the middle of a dense forest. It has been a few minutes since then, but the one who had fallen had long left the area and was making his way through the tree land. It was rough, but the figure was well used to being in harsher environments than this. Besides, there were bigger questions on the mind of the Celestial Warrior.

_'How did I end up here?'_

Reaching a clearing in the woods, Trowa mused over this question as he made his way onward. Though still without an answer, the Celestial didn't let it affect the fact that he had to keep moving. He knew that there was a chance that the Dynasty could be after him, so the sooner he got out of this forest and discovered his location, the better off he could be. Up ahead, he saw another clearing, but this was brighter, telling him that he was reaching the edge of the forest. As soon as he reached it however, an armored figure stood before him; his armor bristling with a cold mist.

_"Where is Reflections!"_


	69. Chapter 68

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

Disclaimer: See initial chapter. But if you've reached this point, you don't have to, right?

-

Chap. 77

-

_Forest, Unknown_

_"Where is Reflections?"_

Trowa remained in place as he faced the form of the Dark Celestial of Ice. Arctic glared at him with a malice that Trowa had never seen in another human being before. But regardless of this, Trowa remained in place, his face showing no sign or hint of emotion.

"I can not say."

Arctic took a step forward, flash-freezing the ground as he did and his saber bristled with cool air. Trowa could feel the dark power of the Celestial seeming to grow as he felt the temperature drop around him, with a few leaves beginning to freeze up.

_"You will tell me or you will die."_

Trowa had long suspected as such, but he had hoped to get some information from Arctic as to what had happened. But the Dark Celestial seemed only intent on finding Heero. _'Why is that? Could Nanashi be doing something to his mind, more so that before?'_ Regardless of this, a battle seemed inevitable and there was only one thing for Trowa to do.

_"Armor of Tempest! Tao Kaichou!"_

The looms of armor spiraled around Trowa and swiftly formed into the Celestial armor of Tempest. Without delay, Trowa set his quarterstaff in a defensive posture, ready for the soon-to-be-coming attack of Arctic. And as soon as he did, it came.

_"Hyyaaahhhh!"_

--

_Roadway_

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you Kento?" Cye grumbled.

Kento looked toward his friend and sheepishly replied. "Hey, all I said that was that it would be smooth sailing from here on in, that's all."

"This is definitely _not_ 'smooth sailing'."

The group had been traveling on the road toward Rowen's landing site. They were coming in close to it when Dynasty soldiers suddenly blocked their path. Heero, Ryo and Whiteblaze tried to break through them to keep going, but there were more forces than they thought and they were forced to regroup with the others. By the time they did, they were surrounded by a horde of soulless soldiers.

"We don't have time for this." Heero said, taking in the numbers around them.

Sage nodded in agreement. "Right. We have to get to Rowen and fast."

"I don't think that will be possible now."

The group turned to Cye after he spoke, only to find him looking off into the three dark objects emerging from the fog from the midst of the soldiers and standing before them with shrouds of darkness around them.

"The Dark Warlords!" Yuli exclaimed.

_"Submit to Nanashi or die!"_ Sekmet hissed

Ryo took a step back and glanced at Mia behind him. "Mia, you, Yuli and Whiteblaze will have to go on ahead while we deal with these guys."

Yuli turned to Ryo and blinked. "We can't just leave you!"

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Ryo reassured. "But someone has to get to Rowen before the Dynasty does."

"O-okay."

Heero continued to keep his gaze on the opposition, but spoke to the three as well. "Once we clear a path, you should go immediately."

"Be careful, guys."

With that, Mia and Yuli slowly boarded Whiteblaze's back while the warriors set themselves for combat. Time was definitely against them and they couldn't afford to waste any more of it.

_"TO ARMS!!"_

With that, the five armors sprang forth, four of them Ronin, one Celestial. Yet all were together in their purpose to defeat the evil Dynasty. When each of the armor cloaked its bearer with their individual powers, the warriors wasted no time in bringing out their weaponry.

"Let's go."

--

_Sunstreamer_

"Are you sure the GPS is functioning?"

"Yes ma'am. But we simply aren't getting a signal from it."

"The Dynasty has the ability to shut down electrical devices in their presence. It's a safe bet that Ryo and Mia found themselves some trouble."

Lady Une sighed as she lightly massaged her forehead. Already, they had lost a lot of time and Nanashi's invasion was fast approaching. On top of that, they were ill-prepared as well as short handed, even with Duo back with them. They needed to find Ryo and Mia and quickly.

"Zechs...?"

Dorothy blinked and looked up from her seat as she heard Noin mutter those words. Noin stopped what she was doing and turned her attention to the window.

"Is something the matter, Miss Noin?"

"Zechs...I can feel..." This earned the attention of Duo and Howard, who were nearby. "He's somewhere...close..."

The moment those words left her lips, a blip came up on the radar. Looking out on the side where Noin was looking, Duo and Howard where greeted by a giant shard of ice that was frozen over the forest just to the left of the Sunstreamer's path.

"Wow. That is close." Duo joked.

A moment later, the ship had change course, now heading toward the ice shard...

--

The sounds of clashing metal and fierce battle filled the air as the team of armored warriors battled against Nanashi's forces. While Ryo and Heero took down the Dynasty soldiers, Sage, Cye and Kento took on the Dark Warlords. But for reasons unknown, they weren't faring well.

"Something's not right." Sage shouted as he blocked a heavy strike from Kale which forced him back hard.

"I know." Kento agreed, as Dais struck down on him with his chin-lin-tao, hooking his arms. "It's like they're stronger than before."

Cye was barely able to duck under a multiple slash attack from Sekmet's poison blades. "It's like...we're fighting machines."

Heero had finished hacking down another one of the Dynasty soldiers when he heard Cye's comment. Looking at the battle between Ronin and Warlord, Heero saw the distinction in the combat styles of the Warlords. They were moving in a manner that Heero could see as mechanical. They just pressed on with no signs of revealing and weak spots. If there was something sure he could point out, it was that their reflexes had increased well beyond their previous limits and their power was augmented as well.

_It was beginning to feel very familiar to the Celestial..._

"Heero!"

Kicking away another group of soldiers, Ryo backed up toward Heero. "We're going to have to help them." Rotating one of his swords around, he connected both blades. "So let's say we end this."

Heero gave him a nod, leveling his swords at the oncoming horde. "Understood."

With that, Ryo took to the sky, spinning his two blades as they glowed with energy. Lifting it over his head, the swords soon exploded in a white light and were followed by waves of fire.

_**"**__Armor of Wildfire! __**Flare Up Now!"**_

Slashing downward, Ryo sent the destructive attack toward his comrade below. Seeing this, Heero spread out his arms, with his swords pointing outward. The other swords soon floated around the Celestial's body as his armor shone in a crystalline light. The firewave smashed right into him, but Heero was unharmed and now was circulating the attack.

_**"**__Armor of Reflections!__** Mirrored Edge!"**_

Heero slashed forward, sending forth his own attack in addition to Ryo's reflected attack. This created a literal vortex of power that stormed the field and trampled down every Dynasty soldier that came in contact. If that wasn't enough, as the attack passed, blue flames spread out in its wake, taking out every soldier that wasn't caught in the initial vortex. The result of this was the complete destruction of the Dynasty soldiers as well as the decimation of the area of impact.

Meanwhile, the three Ronins were cornered in, with the Warlords surrounding them. Their armors were beaten and their breathing was a bit ragged, but they showed no signs of surrendering the fight. Just then, Ryo and Heero jumped in and stood alongside them.

"How are you guys?"

"We've been better." Cye breathed heavily.

"Yeah. I don't get it." Kento added on. "They're not supposed to be this strong."

"Their reaction time has reduced. This won't be easy."

This came from Heero and at hearing it, the others gave him strange looks. But after thinking about what he was saying, the three Ronins understood the truth of it. Their power may have grown, but their speed was what changed things. The Warlords were able to fight them without showing them slightest openings. Even for experienced warriors, that was close to impossible as various fighting styles had their own strengths and weaknesses. It was as Heero said; they reacted at a speed that should be impossible.

"Actually, this will be too easy!"

Their thoughts were broken as a flash of light descended from the skies above them. Before anyone could react, the entire area exploded, sending every warrior flying into the sky and scattering them across the landscape.

"Guahh!"

Ryo landed hard on the dirt ground; his armor had protected him from being killed, but the pain was another story. With a low moan, he struggled to look up and could barely make out the fallen body of Dais nearby. 'What the heck...was that...?' As if answer to his thoughts, footsteps lightly tapped their way toward him and Ryo turned his head to see a pair of black boots coming toward him.

"Like shooting fish in a bucket."

His head had finally managed to rise up to see Lady Shiva standing over him. Her Starlight Swords flickered with energy briefly before returning to their normal glare as she stood over him.

"Shiva...? Why...?" He just managed to push himself up to his knees, trying to endure the searing pain his body was in as he did. "They were...on your side..."

Looking over at the fallen Dais for a moment, Shiva answered him. "My master wants you destroyed by any and all means necessary. If that makes them collateral damage, then I have no objections. So Wildfire...?" Her blades began to glow in deadly light.

"...How does it feel knowing that you're about to die?"

--

_Srhhkkkkk!!_

Trowa backed away as the icy saber of Arctic severed the tree, causing it to freeze and fall to pieces on the ground, while the dark Celestial steadily stalked toward him. Trowa's mind quickly went to work on his situation. He had initially tried using the surrounding trees to hide and counter-attack, but Arctic seem to predict his moves and deflect them with relative ease. And a while after that, Arctic began slashing away with his saber, freezing entire trees and causing them to fall in, depriving Trowa of the element of surprise.

Looking back, Trowa saw a clearing just behind him. Since his first tactic was useless, then he would have to opt for a direct and open encounter. Considering Arctic's strength, it wasn't a favorable option, but it may lead to the opening he needs. Leaping back, he landed in the center of the clearing and held his quarterstaff at the ready. Meanwhile, Arctic calmly strode out of the woodland and into the open; his armor freezing leaves as he emerged.

_"Where is Reflections?"_

Trowa gave no reply. He had already told him that he didn't know Heero's whereabouts, but the dark Celestial didn't take his word for it. _'Why is he so adamant about finding Heero?'_ he pondered. Regardless of the reason, Trowa wasn't going to just sit around and let things be. Even if he knew where Heero and the others were, he wouldn't tell Arctic anyway. So as it stood, this fight was inevitable.

Whirling his staff, Trowa launched himself as Arctic, who despite his dark glare, seemed unconcerned. With the weight of the weapon giving it great momentum and speed, Trowa struck out, only to smash the ground. On instinct, Trowa lifted his staff just as a chilly blade descended upon him. Pushing it back, Trowa spun around and swung again, hoping that he had managed to catch Arctic off-guard. But Arctic simply tilted his body to the side, causing the blow to fly right by him. As soon as it did, Arctic returned the favor by jerking forward and slashing upward at Trowa. Trowa jumped back in avoidance and Arctic doubled up, slashing out horizontally this time. Trowa ducked and at last saw the opening he needed. With Arctic outstretched, he wouldn't be able to dodge a blow to the lower portion of his body. With a sweeping motion, Trowa lashed out with the full length of his quarterstaff.

Only to have Arctic lift his leg up and have it miss him altogether...

Trowa could only think 'how?' before Arctic slashed downward, this time catching the Celestial in the shoulder. Trowa wheeled away, ignoring the pain and chill from his partial frozen shoulder. He didn't have time for it anyway, because suddenly Arctic went on the attack, mercilessly slashing away at Trowa. The Celestial managed to either block or evade most of his attacks, but couldn't do anything more. Whenever he tried to counter, Arctic would somehow beat him to it and renew his frenzied attack. Trowa was in question as to how Arctic was even doing this. With or without the armor, there was no way his reflexes could be this fast.

Arctic soon slashed downward, bringing forth the cold energy of his armor to the full as he did. Trowa dashed to the side and Arctic's attack soon exploded into a pillar of ice. Rolling across the ground, Trowa saw his last chance. If he couldn't beat him through normal attacks, then he'd have to use his armor's full power. Leaping up into the air, Trowa leveled his staff high into the sky and dove down on Arctic.

_**"**__Armor of Tempest! __**Thunder Storm!"**_

Lightning struck out from the heavens above and hit the quarterstaff repeatedly like a lightning rod. Trowa smashed the weapon down with such force that the ground itself shattered at the force. The surrounding trees were either uprooted and sent flying or snapped in half. When the force subsided, Trowa took a quick look up. Even if Arctic had time to dodge, the force of the attack would have thrown him off balance. So it was quite the surprise when Trowa found his legs frozen in solid ice.

_"He caught me...while I attacked...?'_

From the smoke and rubble, Arctic slowly advanced toward him, his saber chilling the air still. Trowa grimaced mentally. He was trapped now. By the time he broke free from the ice, Arctic would have finished him off. He still didn't even understand to source of Arctic's newfound abilities. He knew that it couldn't be the dark aura that seemed to surround him. That made sense for his power, but not he reflexes. Something was off here.

_And it seemed familiar..._

Arctic meanwhile was coming into close proximity of the trapped Celestial. His dark expression hadn't change, meaning that he would very easily be going in for the kill. Trowa lifting his quarterstaff in a defensive position, hoping that Arctic's next attack would be able to force him out of the ice or give him an opportunity to do it himself. The situation was bleak, but the Celestial wasn't about to die yet. And it was then that a giant shadow came over them. Both Celestials looked up to see a large ship soar just over them and hover in place.

The Sunstreamer...


	70. Chapter 69

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

-

Chap. 78

-

**Wham!**

A swift kick from Shiva sent Ryo rolling backward. The Ronin tried to force his body to move and only got limited results. After Shiva's initial strike on both her allies and enemies, she had been kicking Ryo around, tormenting him with further pain. The armor of Wildfire was now absent, as Ryo was too injured now to sustain the power. He had only his sub-armor and that wasn't protecting him from her as it was littered with various slash marks.

Meanwhile Shiva steadily approached him, the Starlight sword still glowing in searing energy. She then stopped to watch Ryo shakily rise to his feet, only to fall back down again. Her masked face shook to the side as he tried to rise again.

"Now that's just pathetic. I think I've toyed with you for long enough."

The Starlight Swords burned brightly in her hands and Shiva suddenly took to the sky. Blades held high, she dove in on the battered Ronin, ready to put him out of his misery. Ryo could only watch in horror as he came in for the deathblow.

_Fssssssshhhhhh!_

A low whistling soon broke through the sky, causing Shiva to turn and immediately deflect the arrow that had come flying toward her. At the same time, a white blur slammed into her, knocking her back and away. With a hidden grimace, she looked up and saw Whiteblaze standing in between her and Ryo, growling menacingly. Then two other figures dove in between them.

"Strata and Oceania. So you did survive."

Raising his bow, Rowen locked his arrow on her. "Yeah. And we're going to take you down."

"Really?"" she replied humorously. "Well that would be interesting to see. But I'm in the middle of something right now, so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait."

"Don't even try it." Wufei snapped, leveling his rapier.

Shiva let out a sigh. "Well, I'm in no rush. And destroying you two shouldn't take too long, so..." At this, the Starlight Swords burned alight again.

"Let's see if you can back those words of yours, boys!"

-----------------

"There!"

Within the ship, the team focused their sights on the battling Celestials below. From what they could see, Trowa was trapped and Arctic closing in to finish him off. The team wasted no time in getting to the hatch in order to dive in to help, but Noin lagged behind them somewhat. Noticing this, Une moved up to her side.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I just... I'm fine."

The hatch of the ship opened and the five warriors leapt out into the fray. Leading the Celestials, Kayura immediately activated her armor and the others followed suit.

_"Tao Chu!"_

_"Armor of Crystal! Tao Ai!"_

_"Armor of Dune! Tao Kitai!"_

_"Armor of Phoenix! Tao Kitan!"_

_"Armor of Hellfire! Tao Jitsu!"_

Arctic remained still as the five armored warriors came in and surrounded him. Quatre landed next to Trowa, whose feet were still imprisoned in ice.

"Are you okay, Trowa?"

"Yeah. But I'll need to get out of this if I'm to be off any good."

As Quatre went to work at freeing his friend, the rest kept their eyes of Arctic. The Dark Celestial simply stared and Noin felt a shiver at the sight of his eyes. Somehow, they seemed to border between rage and lifelessness. _'Zechs...What happened to you?'_

_"Where is Reflections?"_ Arctic spoke finally.

"Reflections?" Kayura answered. "What do you want with Heero?"

But the only answer Arctic gives is the drop in temperature around his saber, causing the cold air around it to thicken. The others readied their weapons, preparing for battle. Even with Quatre helping Trowa, Arctic was still outnumbered four-to-one. But Kayura could sense the swelling power of the dark side that emitted from the dark Celestial. This would not be an easy fight if it came down to it, but hopefully Arctic would see reason as to the numbers and not see fighting as an option at all.

And then he lunged...

---------------------=======================--------------------

Black spots danced around Ryo's vision as he struggled to rise again. But he could see well enough to recognize the white fur of his tiger companion in front of him. He also felt hands grab hold of him and help him become steady. Blinking away the spots, he was greeted with the clearer sight of Mia and Yuli.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Yuli asked with worry.

Despite the pain in his body, Ryo let out a weak smile. "Yeah. I've had better days though...Ghh!"

Ryo nearly toppled forward, but Mia managed to hold him and prevent him from falling completely back to the ground. "Take it slow, Ryo. Give your body some time to recover."

He knew she was worried as well, but upon meeting her gaze, he was surprised at how much she was worried. And her eyes... _'Wow...I never knew...'_ His mind suddenly snapped to reality as a loud explosion rumbled from afar. It was then that Ryo remembered how he was put in this state to begin with.

"Shiva..."

Another explosion ripped across the horizon. Managing to get on both feet this time, Ryo could barely make out the battle in the distance, largely because there seemed to be little movement. Things then started to clear up, but what they saw was much to their dismay. Shiva was walking toward them once again, showing no evidence of injury or damage to her person. And if that was the case, there was only one reason for it.

"Well, those two were dull. I would have thought they would have lasted five minutes at least."

_'Wufei... Rowen...'_ Ryo tried to rise once more, only to stagger back down to the ground. Shiva continued to approach, halting only at the roar of the white tiger that stood between her and the three behind him.

"Hrrrooaahhhhhh!"

Shiva cocked her head slightly before slashing out, unleashing a torrent of energy at the tiger. Whiteblaze was engulfed in the blast and knocked backward, falling right before Ryo where he remained still.

"Whiteblaze!"

Yuli moved toward the fallen tiger and shook it, but a pained growl was the only response he received. Shiva continued to advance slowly and Ryo could swear that she was smirking underneath that mask. He willed his body to move, but it was no good. He had to do something...now!

"I won't let you..."

Ryo blinked in surprise and then shock as Mia suddenly left his side and moved in front of him, facing Shiva directly. The masked warrior stopped once again at this new opposition and then chuckled lightly.

"And just what do you think you're going to do?"

Ryo forced his body and managed to get one leg up. "Mia, what are you doing?!"

Mia turned only slightly and smiled. "I won't let her harm you, Ryo."

Shiva looked on at the scene at the girl protecting the warrior. It was so foolish...so stupid... so...

_"Stop it! What do you want to shoot him for!"_

Beneath the mask, Shiva blinked. The woman standing before was briefly replaced by a golden-haired young girl, with her arms outstretched and protecting a young man of similar age, but wearing a green sleeveless shirt. The image faded, but Shiva felt her foot slide back. _'What...was that...? That...was...me...? But it can't be... I am Shiva... Demon avatar of Nanashi... I am... I... I am...What...am...I? No! This isn't right.'_ The Starlight swords flashed in her grasp. _'This must be...some sort of trick!'_

Her mind in anguish, Shiva lunged at Mia; the Starlight Swords ready to end her life...

-----------------

_Skkkkkkk!_

Ice shards littered across the ground as Arctic made another attack on the four attacking warriors. Seeing him approach, Duo reared his scythe back and charged at him, bringing the dreaded weapon to bear. However, as it came down, Arctic lifted his arm and blocked it in the mid-section, preventing the blade end from even touching him. This was soon followed up by a quick slash at Duo's head and a sharp kick, sending Duo backward.

But as he did this, Kayura moved in from the side, her kusuri-gama coming in fast. But somehow, Arctic whirled around and deflected the attack with his saber and returned the favor with an ice slash. Kayura leapt away quickly as the space she had occupied became a block of ice. Whirling the chain, Kayura latched hold on Arctic's arm in order to restrain him long enough for Hilde's attack. But once again, without even turning to look, Arctic yanked hard on the chain (and Kayura) and swung it toward the advancing Celestial. This resulted in Kayura colliding with Hilde and slamming to two women to the side.

_'How is he doing this?'_

Noin soon rushed in, but Arctic quickly wheeled around to her with his sword already going through the air. Bringing both jitte up in a cross, Noin blocked the attack and then backed away. Something wasn't right here. More than her desire not to fight him, there seemed to be something wrong here. The way Arctic was fighting was strange. She knew how the Dark Side affected a person, but there was no way it was related to how Arctic seemed to predict each of their moves and counter with efficiency.

"You see it too, don't you?"

Looking back, Noin saw Quatre and a now-free Trowa approach her. The two of them had their gazes on Arctic, who was awaiting the next attack. Duo had done a repeated lunge, only to be deflected, with Arctic only sparing a glance to see him attack. Upon seeing this, Quatre blinked.

"His reaction time... No way..." His face slowly turned to horrified. "That's not possible..."

But before he could voice his thought, Kayura and Hilde revived and lunged at him from both sides. Again, it was only a split second before Arctic leapt up and away, causing their attack to miss totally. Landing on the treetops, Arctic glared down at the team, his saber still bristling with cold air.

_"Reflections is not here. This is a waste of time."_

With that, a black void swirled around him and in a flash, he disappeared. The group looked up questioningly at his sudden departure, each with different thoughts. For Hilde and Duo, they were confused by his sudden departure, which lined in with relief that he was gone. Kayura's thoughts were to find Heero before Arctic fast. With his unusual strength, Heero wouldn't stand a chance alone against him. Both Trowa and Quatre were still mulling over the discovered source of Arctic's strength. If their assumptions were true, then there was more danger than they imagined. And as for Noin, only the thought that she had missed her chance to free Zechs from the Dynasty's control occupied her mind.

"Oh, Zechs..."

-----------------

Yaahhhhhhh!!!!!

Shiva screamed as she charged at Mia, Starlight Sword ready to impale the young woman. Mia saw it coming, but made no effort to move or dodge it. At this point, it was far too late and even if it wasn't, she wasn't moving. Even if it cost her life, she would protect Ryo.

Ryo didn't feel the same however...

"Mia!"

Rising up with the last of his strength, Ryo quickly grabbed Mia and whirled her around away from the lunge so that now his back was exposed. Mia shouted in shock, but nothing could be done as Shiva homed in on the Ronin's back.

_Shhhkkkk!_

However, the blade never touched or even reached Ryo. Looking back, both Ryo and Mia were in shock (for Mia, this is the second time) as they saw the Starlight Sword piercing through the side of the Armor of Reflections.

"Heero!"

Heero gave a grunt, but nothing else to show his pain. Shiva was surprised by his interference as well and proceeded to back away, only to be stopped when Heero grabbed hold of her arm. With a snarl, Shiva tried to pull away, but the Celestial's hold on her was firm and unrelenting.

"Release me at once!" she hissed.

Heero remained silent and his hold solid. Seeing that she wasn't going to get out that way, Shiva reared her left arm back and struck down with the other Starlight Sword. Heero lifted his arm in defense and a slight shock emitted out from the clashing. Pain flared through Heero greater that before, but he continued to hold her in place.

"Re...lena..."

Suddenly, the Jewel of Life on Yuli neck begins to glow. The boy looked down in surprised as the object began to levitate slightly and spin around rapidly, becoming a sphere of energy. The energy then flashed out and hit Heero, causing his armor to react and glow. The glow travels from his armor, onto the swords and then onto Shiva herself. Again, Shiva tries to back away and separate herself from Heero and in desperation, she kicks out and is finally able to put some distance between the two of them. But unknown to her, her arms were shaking.

_'What...was...that...?'_

Heero meanwhile, continued to hold his place, the glow around his body resonating until it suddenly shot out in all directions in sparks of light. Or at least it seemed that way. In reality, the sparks flew out and settled upon the fallen warriors, slowly reviving them. Shiva looked around at this. She would be severely outnumbered and outmatched if they all managed to revive. Furthermore, they would be able to summon either the Armor of Inferno or the Armor of Nova, something else she couldn't deal with. And it would be a safe bet none of them would have appreciated her earlier strike on all of them.

Best would be to retreat and return in force...

But as she faded into the Netherrealm, her gaze remained upon Heero, who was holding his side wound. And for a moment, just a moment before she vanished...she remembered....something...

"Heer..."

-----------------

As the battles were waged upon the Earth, in the heavens above, an object twinkled in the sky. For those who saw, they looked on in fascination as a new presence made itself known in the sky. Yet this object would soon bring about a chaos and destruction that the planet has yet to witness. Soon, those will know fear and terror to what is brought about by the sky's newest visitor.

_The Black Comet..._


	71. Chapter 70

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

-

Chap. 79

-

_Sunstreamer_

She was surprised...

As a former commander of OZ and the current commander of the Preventors, it took quite a lot to surprise Lady Une. Even with all the recent events (fighting beings from other worlds and discovering herself to be of the linage of the Ancient Ones), she remained for the most part unfazed by new information.

This however, surprised her...

"The Zero system? Are you sure?"

On the bridge of the Sunstreamer, the team was grouped together after their scuffle with Arctic. Kayura had commented on the new power that the dark Celestial had obtained and was certain that it wasn't the power of the Dark Side. It was then that Trowa and Quatre informed the team of their observation. Noin agreed with this as well, although she was a bit quiet about it.

"Positive." Quatre answered sullenly. "The way that he moved and fought...it couldn't be anything else."

The young Celestial's mind went over the memories involving the system. His wrecked use of it the first time, battling against Milliardo while he was using it in the Epyon... But what he remembered the most was when he faced Dorothy in a swordfight while she was equipped with it. The way Arctic moved was exactly the same way Dorothy moved when she had fought against him during the Eve Wars.

"But how?" Sally asked, breaking Quatre's thoughts. "How is that even possible?"

"I know how." Noin answered suddenly, her eyes lifting. The group awaited an answer, but Noin had gone silent and her gaze distant.

"Miss Noin...?"

"It's here."

Everyone blinked in confusion for a moment before they followed her glance and looked out the window. In the sky, there was a black streak crossing the blue expanse. At the front of it seemed to be a core of dark energy that managed to shine despite the darkness.

"The Black Comet..."

----------

Across the world, people took note of the dark object that slowly made its way across the sky. Many were curious as to the new object while others paid it no real mind. However, that soon changed when the sky began to turn black. And it wasn't from cloud cover either; the formerly blue sky literally darkened.

Furthermore, a dense fog seemed to slowly roll up out of nowhere, seeping the world into further shadows by shutting down electrical devices within it. Fear soon gripped people, which turned to terror as soldiers emerged out of the fog, marching toward the people. And above it all, a mysterious fortress appeared in the sky, seeming to hover in the darkness of the sky with the comet continuing on its course above it. All of this led up to one dread conclusion

Nanashi is here...

--------------

"Look!"

A good distance away from the citadel, Ryo and the remaining Ronins/Celestials looked up as Yuli shouted. The sudden darkness had already put them on edge, but seeing what they saw merely confirmed their biggest fears.

"That's Nanashi's citadel!" Rowen exclaimed.

"Yeah, but how?" Ryo replied. "How could Nanashi have been able to cross over into our world?"

Mia's gaze lifted and her eyes caught the object above the citadel. "Is that...? That's the Black Comet!"

The group turned to her in askance and Ryo voiced it. "The what?"

"According to my grandfather's data, it is an event that takes place once every 10,000 years." Mia explained. "When the Comet passes over, the barrier between our world and the Netherrealm is weakened. But it's far too soon for the comet to have arrived."

"Nanashi must have done something somehow." Wufei said simply.

"This is bad." Rowen frowned. "We're going to have to regroup with the others and soon."

But it didn't seem as that would happen, for a dense fog had swooped in from out of nowhere, enshrouding the team in it. Red glowing eyes emerged from the mist and they were now faced with another horde of Dynasty soldiers.

"It looks like Nanashi has the advantage." Wufei muttered. Yet despite that, there was a hint of humor in his voice. "Still..."

Catching it, Ryo grinned at the Celestial. "Yeah. If Nanashi wants this world, he's going to have one hell of a fight for it."

"Ryo..." Mia warned immediately, but paused to compose herself. "Are you sure?"

Her question was valid. They were still recovering from the battle they had with Shiva; Ryo and Heero being the worse considering the extended beating Ryo had taken from Shiva and the injury Heero sustained in the side from the Starlight Sword that stabbed him. Plus Sage, Kento and Cye were still knocked out, along with the Warlords, who they had no idea what their mentality would be should they awaken.

"There's no choice." Heero replied. "We have to fight."

Ryo nodded at him and gave Mia a quick glance before turning back to face the soldiers. Rowen, Wufei and Heero joined him and readied to fight once again.

"To Arms!"

--------

_Hmmmmm..._

Lady Une stopped in her tracks as the Staff of the Ancients shimmered and glowed. The Sunstreamer was forced to land due to power shortage and Howard managed to get the ship to land safely before the power shut out completely. Unfortunately, that would mean that they were grounded and would have to travel by foot. It was as the group was exiting the ship that the Staff began to react.

"What is it?" Dorothy asked, coming down from the ramp beside her.

Une didn't answer at first and simply continued down the ramp, now under the guidance of the Staff. She walked a few steps away from the Sunstreamer with the others behind her and then stopped. As the team came up to her, Une leveled the Staff, pointing it in front of her.

"What's going on?" Howard called out from behind.

Une's thoughts were focused on front of her. "Something is happening... this way."

"It's the others." Kayura replied, her trait symbol of Chu -_Loyalty_- flickering upon her forehead. "Ryo...and Heero...as well as Wufei and Rowen."

"There's a battle." Trowa finished, his trait of Kaichou -_Harmony_- also being revealed upon his head.

"We better get a move on then." Hilde said suddenly. "We don't know what their situation is and chances are they'll need our help."

Nodding in agreement, Kayura replied. "Then we better get going."

-----------

The horde of Dynasty soldiers that came against the four warriors seemed unending. With Nanashi's arrival, it seemed that the dark lord wasted no time in unleashing his forces upon the Earth. And although not complete, soon the entire planet would be covered with such soldiers in darkness.

Not if the Ronins and Celestials had anything to say about it...

_Tssshhh! Tssshhh! Tssshhh! Tssshhh!_

The arrows of the Ronin of the Skies soared straight and true at their targets, bringing them down in a piercing rain. As such soldiers fell, Wufei charged in just behind it, slashing and stabbing at any nearby opposition with his rapier in a furious dance of chaos. As he dug himself into the enemy forces, other soldiers moved in behind to close the gap and surround him. But that proved impossible as both Heero and Ryo prevented such occurrence, with their swords flashing rapidly and repeatedly across the battlefield and shutting down their efforts.

"Look at them go, Mia!"

This came from Yuli, who with Mia, stayed behind as the four warriors brought down the Dynasty forces. But they weren't without defense, as Whiteblaze remained with them as well, clawing down any soldiers that were missed or any that thought to come their way. Mia nodded in response to Yuli's comment, watching the four warriors battle against the Dynasty. Though she had seen it many times before in the past, it was always a sight to see when the Ronins fought together.

Even more so, when they were paired with the Celestials. The former Gundam pilots were no strangers to combat, sure, but to fight while bearing mystical armors... It was as though it didn't make a difference. They may have had different backgrounds and experiences, but despite that, they fought as a single unit.

Despite this, there was still room for worry inside of her. Their situation was still in a bad way. Nanashi had arrived on Earth and the Ronins and Celestials weren't at full force. To top it off, Nanashi had some powerful key players on his side, the foremost being Lady Shiva, whom they have never really defeated. She had come close, but in the end, Shiva came out in top. _'How would they be able to beat something like this?'_ Yet, upon returning her attention to the battlefield, she already saw her answer.

"Rah!"

Out on the battlefield, Heero had hacked down two soldiers at the same time and was currently moving forward to engage more. Being outnumbered wasn't a new situation for the Celestial. Being a Gundam pilot, he was trained to fight in such a manner. The number of enemies usually didn't matter to him though. Numbers didn't always win the battles. The Dynasty soldiers may be strong and organized, but they weren't driven by heart and will. That was what made the difference, at least when the chips came down to it. As the soldiers attacked the incoming Celestial, Heero dodged to the side and let out a single swipe, severing the head of one of the soldier causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke.

Bringing back his second blade, Heero slashed further, destroying two more and knocking a few back. But the soldiers continued to come, even going as far as charging over their fallen brethren. Heero took in the scene. They would continue on like this until they were completely destroyed.

'If that's what it takes, then I have no objections.'

Leaping back, Ryo spread his arms outward with the swords pointing out as well. The blades began to glow brightly as the soldiers suddenly halted in their advance. But it was far too late as the Celestial had already summoned forth his attack.

_**"Armor of Reflections! Mirrored Edge!"**_

Unlike the previous times that he used his sure kill attack, he unleashed its power on its own instead of using it to reflect an allies or enemies attack. This resulted in long, translucent blades of energy surrounding his swords. Lifting his arms, Heero let out a single swipe with both weapons, resulting in a massive explosion as the energy blades tore through scores of Dynasty soldiers and then destroying more when the energy hit the ground and created an explosion.

When the dust from the impact cleared, Heero looked to see the devastation he had created. Again, it was nothing new to him and as such, he took it in stride. He saw the others still in battle with the Dynasty swarm and advanced on their positions. The battle wasn't over yet and the Dynasty still had to be stopped.

It was his duty...as a Celestial Warrior...

-------

"_Reflections..._"

Outside the dark citadel that presided in the black skies, Arctic's head snapped upward. His senses had suddenly flared, telling him of the presence of the Celestial he had been hunting for. Unknowingly to him, his Celestial symbol had flickered on his forehead for a moment. The Dark Celestial grimaced at the brief headache it brought him, but it didn't sway his focus. He could sense Reflections now and more importantly, he knew exactly where he was.

"_Target located. Commencing termination._"


	72. Chapter 71

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

-

Chap. 80

-

"Yaaahhh!"

A running swipe with the Wildfire swords brought down another pair of Dynasty soldiers as the battle continued. So far, Ryo, Heero, Wufei, and Rowen had all done a pretty good job at keeping the horde of Dynasty soldiers at bay. Already, many of the soldiers had fallen to the four warriors and were continuing to drop. Despite this, the Dynasty still had the numbers and they continued to advance on the four, extending the fight.

"Huff... huff..."

Ryo breathed heavily as he readied to face the horde. Despite the renewed vigor the armor of Wildfire had given him earlier on in the fight, his body was beginning to reach its limit. There seemed to be no end to the battle in sight as the Dynasty continued to come at them. In addition to that, the damage he had received from Shiva was far from healed. Through his armor, he could sense the others were suffering in similar straits, as they had all came into this fight at less than 100% strength. But even if they had, this was simply too much for the four of them to deal with. But regardless of this, they still had to fight.

The Dynasty must not win...

"Rahh!"

Meanwhile, Heero was doing his share in holding the soldier at bay as well. Due to his earlier attack, he swept clear a good deal of Dynasty soldier. But like Ryo, Heero was beginning to reach his limit. The wound from Shiva's attack earlier was still healing and while normally, that wouldn't be a consequence for the Perfect Soldier, right now in the heat of battle, it was beginning to take its toll on him.

So it only made sense that things would drop from bad to worse...

From his right, Heero sensed the presence of another armor bearer. Unfortunately, he could tell that it was one of the Dark Celestials. And the figure soon emerged from the mist to reveal himself; his saber bristling at his side with cold energy and dark eyes that centered in on Heero.

"Reflections..."

Heero remained in place as he was confronted by the icy Celestial. Though his face was impassive, Heero was surprised by the look in the eyes of his rival. It was a look that he was all too familiar with, even if he didn't understand how it was possible.

"Zero..."

Arctic said nothing in reply and then suddenly launched himself at Heero. Heero immediately brought his swords up to defend. The clash of blade resounded loudly and Heero was forcibly pushed back. His sword was partially frozen, but the ice fell away soon afterward. Arctic came in for another attack, slashing at the left and then the right. Heero deflected the first blow and then dodged the second, spinning around to counterattack on Arctic's back. But Arctic swiftly pulled his weapon up and around his shoulder, blocking Heero's attack. He then followed up with a quick shoulder ram, pushing Heero back again. As Heero faltered, Arctic whirled around and lifted his saber high, with frigid energy filling the weapon.

"Guuaahh!"

The saber came down in a flash, striking with sub-zero energy. But Heero had been able to nimbly roll to the side before it could strike. Coming to his feet, Heero immediately attacked. With Arctic overextended, he would be off-balance from an attack now.

Or at least, he should have been...

Without even looking, Arctic deflected Heero's first sword and clashed with the second. Sparks of energy flailed out as the two struggled to overcome the other. Heero tensed; the pain of his earlier injury now beginning to affect him more as he fought. Sensing his weakness, Arctic pushed Heero back once again and pressed on with more furious attacks. Heero was barely able to defend against them and in the end, he settled for leaping away from Arctic to get some breathing room.

"Heero!"

After shooting down another pack of soldiers, Rowen looked from his vantage point to see the fight between Heero and Arctic. From the look of things, the fight was going poorly for Heero as the Dark Celestial continued to hammering in on him. Rowen immediately thought of going in to help and judging from the looks of the other, they wanted to do the same. The problem was there were too many soldiers in between them and Heero. It would be unlikely that they could make it to him in time. They had to reach him somehow.

And Rowen was just the Ronin to do it...

Kicking away another soldier, Rowen soared high into the air once again, aiming his arrow toward the battling Celestial and calling forth his armor's power. Energy filled the arrow as he aimed at Arctic.

_**"Armor of Strata! Arrow Sh...!"**_

But before he could fully unleash his attack, a flash of black electricity struck him from behind, causing his attack to cease and the Ronin to fall to the earth.

"Ahhhh!"

Seeing his friend plummet from the sky, Ryo quickly rushed forward and jumped up, catching him in mid-air. Landing on the ground, Ryo settled the hurt Ronin down, looking up to see the cause of his fall. Walking toward him through the throng of Dynasty soldiers was Kale. His no-dachi sword sparkling lightly with the black lightning that he had just used. Meanwhile, Wufei found himself ceasing in his assault on the soldiers, as both Sekmet and Dais stood in his way.

"Not good..."

_Nanashi's Citadel_

Cyclone looked in the darkness of the chamber, his eyes set on the seat that was before him. Now that Nanashi has arrived to the mortal world, his reign of darkness can now begin. Now all that was left was the final piece. For too long, the Ronin and Celestial warriors have been a thorn in the side of the Dynasty. Even now, they were continuing to fight in the vain battle to stop Nanashi. Yet he couldn't deny the resilience of the warriors as they had literally come back from the brink of defeat to form a passable resistance. Even now, with Nanashi's arrival into the mortal world, they were still trying to fight back.

A valiant gesture...and incredibly foolish...

But now that would no longer matter. Soon they would no longer have the power to defy Nanashi. And with them eliminated, Nanashi will have no opposition in his conquest of the mortal world. Turning to the side, he lifted his hand to signal into the darkness. From out of the shadows, two Netherspirit emerged, both side by side. In the midst of them, they carried a single unconscious form. The one who would give Nanashi ultimate power against the Ronins and Celestials...

_Mariemaia Khusrenada..._

_**Zzzkkkkk!**_

With another frozen slash, Arctic had hammered back his opponent, leaving shards of ice around as evidence. Heero took up a defensive posture, breathing heavily as he did. Looks like a Zero-enhanced Dark Celestial is too much for him to handle. In a mobile suit, Heero would have thought nothing of using the self-destruct button if it was a viable option and situation, like now.

No such luck with mystical armor...

Arctic began to advance once again, his intent clear in his approach. Destroy Reflections... Once again, his saber bristled with chilling energy as he steadily approached Heero. Heero straightened himself up and readied for the next attack. He didn't have many options now, but he wasn't the type to just give up. The blade of Arctic slowly began to rise up, the frigid vapors around it beginning to thicken as he readied for what will most definitely be the finishing blow.

"Zechs!"

A blur of gold and Arctic soon found his target was obscured by the form of his former comrade, Noin of the Phoenix. Heero had been surprised by her arrival as well as her assistance. The last time he checked, she was on the side of the Dynasty. But he knew that wasn't the case. He could...sense it through his own armor. There was no sign of the dark power in her now, the same dark power that seemed to flood around Arctic, who was currently staring at Noin.

"........."

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Wufei, Ryo, and Rowen were being cornered in by the Dark Warlords as well as the remaining forces of Nanashi's army. With the Warlords being guided by the Zero system, they weren't even working up a sweat while the Celestial and two Ronins were already reaching their limits.

"Yaahhhhhh!!"

All their attentions were suddenly drawn to this loud shout. Above them, a black form descended from the sky, a wicked blade weapon coming down as well. Seeing that they were the target, the Warlords leaped back as the figure struck down, creating a blaze of fire in its wake. Looking through the fire, the Warlords now saw who their attacker was.

_Duo of Hellfire..._

"Hope you guys don't mind if we crash."

As soon as he said that, other figures dove in from the sky, all forming a circle along with the others. Kayura, Hilde, Quatre and Trowa all joined with their weakened companions to stand up against the Warlords. The warlords paused for a moment, seeming to consider their next move when a loud cry resounded from elsewhere in the battlefield.

**"Seeyyyahhhhhhh!"**

The others turned too to see the now revived Kento blasting through the Dynasty horde with his surekill attack. Also, Sage and Cye have recovered and were fighting through the soldiers, soon reaching the others as well.

"Hey, guys. You're okay." Ryo said happily.

Kento nodded with a grin. "Hey, you know me. I'm always one for a fight."

The three joined the group and now stood against the Warlords and what was left of their soldiers. The Warlords were motionless, seeing that the numbers were definitely against them now. Even with the Zero, they stood little chance against the team now. Even more so, with this many Celestials and Ronins in one place, there was a good chance that they would go up against either the armor of Inferno or the armor of Nova.

Never a promising situation...

Elsewhere, Noin continued to stand before Arctic, who had paused on his attack on Heero. But from the looks of things, he might just continue on with it by going through her. Regardless of this, she remained in place, without even a weapon in hand.

"Zechs... I know you can hear me. I know what you're going. But you are stronger than this. You can beat the Zero, just like you did before."

Arctic remained motionless, but the cold energy from saber continued to build. Keeping her eyes on his, Noin relinquished her armor and returned to her normal state of wear. Now she was completely defenseless should Arctic attack her. Heero remained behind her, but readied himself to spring into action just in case her gamble didn't pay off.

_Seii..._

The kanji trait of Faith shone on Noin's forehead while she continued speaking. "Don't worry. I believe in you. I always have. And I'll always be here for you."

For a moment, Heero believed that her effort wasn't going to work. But then he saw a flicker of change in the eyes of Arctic. The symbol of Kitan -Modesty- flickered on his forehead once, then twice, then continuously until it remained a steady glow. His once emotionless expression soon changed into a deep frown, revealing the struggle his mind was enduring. But Noin didn't leave. On the contrary, she actually moved closer to him, placing a gentle hand on his armored arm.

"Zechs."

"N...Noin..."

------------------

(AN: For those of you who are confused by the kanji placements on the Celestials, I have to apologize for that. I got one or two of them mixed up and put it on the wrong people. Sorry about that.)


	73. Chapter 72

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

-

Chap. 81

-

"Are you serious?"

The team of Ronin and Celestial were grouped together beneath the semi-wrecked Sunstreamer. Even though Howard had managed to get it to land safely enough, there was still damaged caused from the harder that normal landing. Thus his team got to work on repairs while the others remained outside, both to stay out of the way and to discuss battle strategies.

For her part, Kayura were grateful to have all the Ronins back together again as well as the majority of Celestials. But this came with the pain of not being able to retrieve the Warlords. They were her team, and she promised to free them from Nanashi's control. But she had yet to deliver on that. And now after learning of what Nanashi's ultimate plan is, that promise seemed to be slipping away.

"I'm afraid so. That's how Nanashi is going to conquer our world."

There was a bit of silence as Heero, Wufei, and the Ronins were all clued in to Nanashi's big plan. But that silence didn't keep, courtesy of Kento.

"I say we smash our way in before Nanashi gets the chance to show his ugly face!"

"We tried that last time, remember?" Rowen admonished him. "That didn't work out too well."

Kayura nodded in agreement. "And as long as Nanashi has the Jewel of Light in his possession, it may likely happen again."

'It' being the separation of the armors to their resting places, and that's if they were lucky and weren't blown up or something of the like instead. And if that happened, there would be no way to revive them again, not with Nanashi already in their world now.

"Then we have to find a way to reach Mariemaia before that happens."

"That will be a problem as well." Trowa replied. "By now, Nanashi must know that we know of his plan. So he'll probably have a way of guarding her by now."

"It's worse than that, I'm afraid."

All eyes turned their attention to Noin who had been in the background with Zechs listening in. Since his release from Nanashi and the Zero system, Zechs hadn't spoken to anyone and kept his distance from the group. Noin stayed at his side throughout that time up until now.

"What do you mean?"

"By now, Nanashi would have learned how to use the Zero System in his forces." the Celestial of the Suns explained. "No doubt when you face them next, they will be a lot stronger than before."

Rowen sighed. "That is bad. After all, with just those three Warlords, we were getting smashed."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." This came from Dorothy, who upon gaining everyone's attention, simply smirked and gazed at the Celestials. "After all, it's no different than when you boys went up against me, right?"

Hilde blinked. "What does she mean?"

"When the mobile dolls fought against us with the Zero system." Quatre answered. "We were able to fight through them. But I had the Zero system to help me then."

"But you've already proven that you don't need it to fight, isn't that right?" she countered.

Quatre gave her a puzzled look, unsure if she was taunting or encouraging him. _'Probably both.'_ Nevertheless, she did have a point. As powerful a battle system as the Zero was, to one with the experience and leadership, it was possible to break through it and obtain to victory.

Wufei folded his arms. "That may work out with the soldiers and maybe even the Warlords. But there's still Lady Shiva to deal with. And she hasn't made it easy for us lately."

That seemed to be an understatement. Since the beginning, Shiva has been more of a threat to them than Nanashi. She was every bit as dangerous as Kayura had been when she was under Talpa's control, perhaps even more so. As it stood, they were all fortunate to be in one piece.

"There must be a way to reach her." Duo said, frowning. "It is Relena under there after all, right?"

His eyes drifted over to Heero, who kept an impassive face in return. While it was true that was what he expected from Heero, but Duo wondered what was going on in Heero's mind about all of this. Facing the girl-woman he has always protected in battle could not have been easy for him, no matter how calm and impassive he appeared on the outside. Knowing Heero, there was a plan in mind, and it will probably involve something blowing up.

_'Oh, man...'_

Une spoke up. "I think our focus should be on a plan of attack. I think Kento has the right idea about attacking as soon as possible. We just need to find a way to deal with Nanashi when the time comes."

"We may have an idea for that" came a low reply.

_Zechs..._

_Citadel_

"So Arctic is lost to us."

"Unfortunately, master."

"No matter. His treachery is of no consequence now. If he chooses to stand against me, then his fate will be no different than the rest."

"Very good, master."

"Gather the forces. The time has come at last to claim this world."

"Will that work?"

That was the first question after Zechs explained his plan to the others. It wasn't a bad idea, but it hadn't been tried out before. Basically, there was no reason why it shouldn't work, but there was no reason why it should either. It was a theory at best.

"We already know it has the power to negate Nanashi's power on that level." he answered. "If Nanashi emerges, then we're going to need all the advantage we can get."

"You could test it on the Sunstreamer." Une suggested. "If that works, then I'll approve of it."

Nodding Kayura then turned to the group or rather, one person in particular. "It's up to you then, Yuli. Do you wish to do this?"

The young boy, who had been the center of the conversation, nodded. "Yeah. If it helps you guys, then okay."

"Alright." Kento exclaimed. "Then I say we get going."

"Hold on a minute." Sally warned. "You've all just come out of a battle. I think an hour or so of rest is needed." This earned one or two moans from the group as well as some glares (actually one glare, Wufei of course), but the doctor added. "This may be your last chance. And you'll need all the strength you can get."

The lack of further argument allowed her a satisfied grin...

A half an hour later, half of the team was sound asleep beneath the Sunstreamer, or at least as close to sleep as they could get. The anxiousness of the coming attack weighed heavily on their minds. Considering this is to be their final attempt at defeating Nanashi and the Dynasty, it wasn't much of a surprise. By shifts, it was decided that the Ronins, along with Wufei and Heero, get to rest first, since they were deep in the last battle and were still working to recover.

While they slept, Mia, who had been on a brief watch with the remaining Celestials, quietly made her way over and around the Ronins, coming up to Ryo himself. The young man was sleeping by a tree, but not soundly. Settling down beside him, she watched as his face contorts in his sleep, seemingly in pain. She had seen that look all too often on the fiery Ronin's face. Whether in battle or asleep, he would always be in pain. But that was understandable, seeing as how he was always the one taking the punishment. In part, it was because of his temperament and also because he was usually the Dynasty's prime target. But he never complained about it. He would just take it and fight on. The only time she ever seen him upset was when his friends were in danger and he was powerless to help them.

So noble, so...

Mia knew where her thoughts were leading her, but she no longer cared to hide them. That wasn't to say, she blurted out her feelings to the whole world, just that she didn't try to hide them either. She didn't know when or how it happened, but it did. As much as she cared for all the Ronin Warriors, she cared for Ryo just a little bit more.

"Mia... No... Get away..."

Mia blinked as Ryo moaned lightly in his sleep. His face was sweating and his head slowly shook from side to side. Again, this wasn't new to Mia. He had often had nightmares at times. What did surprise her was the mention of her name. Whatever it was that was happening in his nightmare, it involved her in some sort of danger.

"I won't....let them...get to you..."

Despite the situation, Mia felt herself smile at this. In even his dreams, he was protecting her. He was always protecting her. Attentively, Mia reached over and placed a soothing palm on Ryo's forehead. Almost immediately, the shaking began to stop, as did the tormented moans. She never liked seeing him like this. When he got hurt, she felt hurt as well. Her protective nature soon overcame her, causing her to realize that she never wanted to see him hurt again.

Not if she could help it...

Her eyes close and she lower her face to the sleeping Ronin. She continued on until their cheeks were just grazing each other tenderly. Ryo, though still asleep, began to calm at the touch. She now knew why she didn't hesitate to battle alongside him with the Starlight sword. And she knew there was still something she could do for him. For them all, but mostly him.

"You've always protected me, Ryo." she whispered close to his ear. Lifting herself up, she stopped for a moment and lightly caressed her lips upon his. Rising up fully, she looked as he seemed to smile in his sleep.

"My turn."

With that, her gaze turned up toward Whiteblaze, who was sleeping nearby. Quietly, she approached the tiger, which woke up almost immediately. Mia looked around a bit, checking to see if anyone was watching her, before bending down to the white tiger, which perked his head questioningly.

"I need your help, Whiteblaze."

Unlike Talpa's castle, which was stationed in the clouds above, Nanashi's citadel was stationed right over the sea next to a beach. The bottom couldn't be seen due to the view of it being concealed with heavy mist. So fearsome was the sight that no one was in the area at all. But odds are the reason for that was being that they had already been taken captive.

It was more frightening than it was the first time they were here...

Walking toward the citadel, two figures approached the foreboding place, resolve in their steps. They soon stopped directly in front of it, looking up at the evil structure. It didn't take long for soldiers to materialize around them, ready to harvest another soul for their master. But one of the figures simply returned their gaze to the citadel and yelled out.

"Lady Shiva! Show yourself!"

For a moment, all was still and quiet, aside from the soldiers advancing toward the two. But then, then stopped and backed away as a light flashed out from the midst of the citadel and slowly descended toward the pair. The soldiers parted away as Nanashi's avatar made her presence known to the pair, one of whom was roaring at her. But she ignored the white tiger and kept her gaze on the woman next to him and chuckled.

"Well, well. Lady Mia. No wait; it's just Mia now, isn't it?"


	74. Chapter 73

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

-

Chap. 82

-

"I must admit, coming here by yourself and calling me out. You're either very brave or very foolish."

Before the citadel, Mia stood face to face with the Dark Avatar of the Dynasty. At her side, Whiteblaze was growling continuously, glaring over at the soldiers that surrounded them. Mia was more than aware of her surrounding, but kept her gaze on Lady Shiva.

"I came because there's something we both want."

"Oh?" The masked warrioress cocked her head. "Do tell."

"The Starlight Swords."

Even with the mask, Mia could hear the mild surprise in her voice. "Really? You came for these?" She lifted up both swords and pointed one at Mia. "Then I see your choice is very foolish. Do you really think I'd just hand these swords over to you?"

"Just one." Mia answered calmly.

Shiva chuckled, almost aloud. "You are quite the comedian. Tell me, why would I even think to do something like that?"

"Because we both know that you can't tap into the true power of the swords. If you had, you would have done so already."

The laughter stopped immediately and was replaced with a more dangerous tone. "That is of no concern of yours."

"Of course it is. When we fought that time, the swords had yet to choice its possessor. You only obtained it when one of your netherspirits possessed Miss Dorothy and surprised me from behind."

"Oh, so we are getting technical now?" Shiva hissed.

"In this case, yes." Her gaze lowered to the sword pointed at her. "As long as those swords had yet to choose who holds them, they will never release their true power."

"Even if what you say is true, why should I care about that? I have both swords and the power to wipe you out right now."

Shiva edged the blade closer to Mia's throat. Upon seeing this, Whiteblaze roared and wheeled around, but a hand from Mia held off his attack.

"But those who hold the Starlight Swords will always seek its true song." Mia continued. "That was in part, why we had to fight. You are right, of course. You could destroy me right now. But if you do, you'll never find that true song."

"So what do you propose?"

"Simply that we finish the fight we started. Starlight Sword to Starlight Sword."

There was a moment of silence and Mia held her breath. Despite her calm exterior, she was really worried. She was gambling a great deal on a plan that had minimal chance of success. But she knew more about the Starlight Swords that Shiva did and she had to use that knowledge to her advantage. Plus, she couldn't let the others battle her again. In the battle to come, there would be a great deal for the Ronin and Celestials to deal with. If she could tilt the scales even a little bit, then it would be worth it.

"So, it is bravery _and_ foolishness." Shiva answered at last. "I could destroy you and move on and you would have wasted your life." She cocked her head to the side again. "But that you would risk that on a gambit... appeals to me. And I do want the true song, otherwise I would be incomplete."

The Starlight Sword slowly moved away from Mia's neck and Shiva held it over her head, pointing it forward. Then with a swift motion, she hurled the sword, stabbing it into the ground right beside Mia.

"Very well, Mia. You will have your wish. And once I've destroyed you, I'll wipe out all your other friends one by one."

Despite the sudden movement, Mia's slowly breathed in relief. The first part was over. Now it came to see if she could really pull off her plan. Her hand drifted over to the waiting blade; its song filling her mind once again as she grasped hold of it. Pulling it out of the ground, her body immediately shifted into battle stance. Shiva did likewise, just about mirroring Mia.

"Now, _Lady_ Mia, let's finish our dance!"

"Let me go!"

"Ryo, calm down."

At the campsite, the team had just discovered that Mia and Whiteblaze had disappeared. At first, there was panic that she had been captured, but upon finding her tracks along with Whiteblaze's, they learned that he had in fact left. And to make it worse, the tracks went straight in the direction of Nanashi's citadel. So naturally, Ryo felt they had to go immediately, but wound up with both Cye and Quatre restraining his arms which Rowen held him up front.

"We know how you feel, but rushing off after her on your own is suicide." Quatre tried to reason.

The fiery Ronin was not swayed. "We can't just leave her out there."

"Ryo, chill out." Rowen exclaimed.

"Think about it, Ryo. Whiteblaze is with her." Kento added quickly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You know he won't anything happen to her."

Slowly, Ryo managed to settle down, although worry was still in his eyes. "I still don't understand what she was thinking."

"Mia's a smart person." Hilde replied from the side. "I don't think she would have left without some sort of plan."

Rowen shook his head. "Regardless, it was still a reckless act on her part."

"I think we have more bad news."

This came from Duo who was approaching them from the opposite side. When the group looked at him in question, he simply stated.

"Heero's gone too."

_**Shrraaannnnkkkkk!!!!**_

After a sharp collision of blade, Mia and Shiva leapt back and dashed off to the side in parallel to each other. To her credit, Mia was doing well in holding her own against the Dynasty's avatar. All the power and abilities that she had when she first held the Starlight Sword returned to her. It was as though she had never lost it to begin with. Plus, she felt additional power from when Lady Shiva used it. However, Shiva was still as dangerous as ever, moving with a skill and force that she hadn't displayed before.

_'She really wasn't trying when she fought the guys'_ Mia mused.

This thought however, only fueled her determination into this fight and reassured her that this was the best move to make, even if it was a hell of a gamble. But now that the hard part was over, she had to now deal with Lady Shiva herself.

"Haa!"

Cutting off from her run, Shiva took to the air and dove at Mia. Seeing this, Mia jumped up as well, soaring up toward her. Starlight Sword clashed with Starlight Sword, creating a violent shockwave that brightened the sky and rattled the earth. The two women warriors continued on past each other and soon both settled back on the ground with their backs to each other.

In a flash, Shiva whirled around and charged. Mia turned as well and managed to block the incoming attack. The blades locked together and Mia managed to push Shiva back. Shiva was a bit surprised by this, but even more so when this time, Mia came in for the attack. Shiva flipped over Mia as she sliced, landed behind her, and whirled about with her blade slicing through the air. At the same time however, Mia spun out of her own attack and sliced around at Shiva. The two swords met again in a destructive clash, this time cratering the ground beneath them. They leapt away from each other again and two things happened.

A lock of Mia's hair drifted away...

Shiva's mask shattered and fell to the ground...

Mia was now able the see the icy blue eyes of Lady Shiva; the woman whose face was once that of the peace-minded vice minister of Earth and the colonies, now the destructive warrior under Nanashi's control. Shiva

"Nice." Shiva commented, her lips summoning up a dark smirk. "I don't think I've enjoyed a fight for some time. I must thank you."

Lifting her blade with a flash of light, Shiva slashed out; her Starlight Sword letting loose a wave of energy. Mia pulled her sword to the side and just as the wave came at her, she slashed forward, cutting through the wave. But the force of the energy was much greater than she thought and she wound up stumbling back a step. Seeing this, Shiva immediately charged forward, her sword flaring with energy again as she came in close to Mia.

"Gotcha!"

_Krinngggg!_

Though it didn't show on her face, Shiva was surprised by the defense that had come up out of nowhere. She was even more surprised that it didn't come from Mia. Twin swords glistened as they were crossed in a block against her sword. Shiva jumped back and Mia looked up at her rescuer.

"Heero!"

The Celestial of Reflections stood motionless as his gaze was fixed upon the now mask-less Shiva. He saw the same things Mia had seen upon viewing that face, but a part of him still didn't believe what he was seeing.

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked as she recovered.

"I have to do this."

"Reflections, how sweet of you to show up." Shiva smirked at the Celestial. "But I'm afraid I'm in the middle of something here. Just be patient and I'll crush you soon enough."

Upon hearing those words, Heero readied himself to fight the Shiva. He still had misgivings about fighting her, but now he couldn't, or rather, wouldn't let that stop him. Shiva...Relena...either way, she had to be stopped. And he felt that at the least, it was his responsibility to do so. However, his focus was interrupted when Mia stepped in front and held out her hand in front of him.

"Heero, step back."

Heero gave her a straight glare, but said nothing and remained in place. Seeing this, Mia cast him a glance.

"She's right. I have to be the one to face her." Her voice then softened. "I understand that she means something to you. It's the same reason I came here. But it has to me and her alone. No one else. Please understand."

At first, Heero planned on remaining just as he was. But the soft tone Mia used had made him reconsider. Besides that, he understood what it was like to take on a battle by himself. He knew that some battles could only be this way. It had been the same when he fought Zechs with the Wing Zero. Now it had to be Mia and Shiva. No one else. Not even him. Slowly, Heero sheathed his blades and stepped away. Mia whispered a thank you as she returned her attention to Shiva.

"That's a good boy." Shiva remarked upon seeing Heero's exit. "Just sit tight and watch the girls at play." Her gaze soon returned back to Mia.

"Now... where were we?"

_**"Splendid..."**_

"I am grateful that you approve of this, master."

In the pitch-black darkness of the citadel, Cyclone stood solitarily, a beam of light around from above as his only illumination. In the darkness before him, a massive form moved about, towering over the dark Celestial. Various sounds of what could only be described as machinery and metal echoed from the darkness.

_**"To think that such a body could be found and created in the mortal world... And with the power of the Jewel under my control, the time has at last come. The mortal world is now mine."**_ From the darkness, a flash of emerald eyes glowed.

_**"The Ronins... and the Celestials...will be the first to suffer my wrath!"**_


	75. Chapter 74

Disclaimer: See initial chapter, yada, yada, yada…

-

Chap. 83

-

"Whoa, Ryo. Slow down. We can't afford to get separated."

High above in the trees, The Ronins and Celestials were making their way toward Nanashi's citadel. While they jumped through the trees in order to quicken the pace, Ryo was steadily making his way ahead of them.

"We have to hurry." he shot back.

Kayura rushed up beside him. "I understand that you want to save Mia Wildfire. But if we get separated and attacked, then we'll all be in trouble."

At this, Ryo slowed down, but not by much. From behind, Quatre could sense through his Space Heart the worry that was beginning to flood within Ryo. As much as they all were worried about Mia, they had to keep a level head. The team soon emerged out of the tree land area to see the citadel a distance away, enveloped in a light mist. From their position, they could faintly make out sparks of light in front of the dark building.

"Let's get going." Kento declared.

However, the mist before them began to thicken, almost as if in response. From within, a horde of Dynasty soldiers emerged, all armed and ready to defend the citadel and crush the intruders. The team of eleven prepared themselves for what would be a heavy battle. But just then, Ryo snarled.

"I don't have time for this!"

Before anyone could protest, Ryo dashed on ahead; his armor coming forth and enveloping him without him even summoning it. Fire lit within his eyes and he flew right into the Dynasty horde, his hands already reaching back to unsheathe the Wildfire swords.

"Get out of my way!"

--------------------------------------

_Fcchhiiinngggg! Fcchhiiinngggg!_

Before the dark citadel itself, the two wielders of the Starlight Swords continued their deadly dance, under the watch of the Celestial of Reflections. Beside his, Whiteblaze turned to glance at Heero, but Heero kept his gaze fixed on the fight. To be honest, it wasn't something he could turn away from for two reasons. The first being the elegance of the fight itself. The way Mia and Shiva moved about, it was truly a graceful dance, even to one such as he.

Dorothy would have paid big money to see this...

The second reason was more obvious. As much as he still wanted to protect Relena, he couldn't let Mia get hurt either. That was why he chose to head out on his own to confront Shiva himself. She was his responsibility, as silly as it sounded to him. But Mia beat him to it and now instead of Heero, she was fighting against the Dynasty's dark avatar.

_Tsssskkkkk!_

Another blow between the two warriors knocked them away from each other, giving them a moment to evaluate their respective opponent. Shiva found herself enjoying the fight, shown by the dark smile on her lips (something Heero found disturbing). It has been some time since she fought someone of this level, as opposed to her usual fights consisting of her blasting away at her foes with minimal efforts. But even more so, she was smiling because she knew that she could, no, _would_ win this fight.

_It was only a matter of time..._

Mia's face remained neutral as she looked over at Shiva. She was holding her own throughout the fight, but through their exchange in blow, she had seen Shiva's strength and power rise. But for some reason, Mia wasn't too concerned about that. She took a short glimpse of her Starlight Sword, hearing the song of the blade guide her movements.

Shiva almost blinked as she saw Mia charge at her this time. Her smile turned into grin and she rushed forward to meet her opponent. Blade met with blade once again, but only briefly as Mia pulled back and slashed out. Shiva jumped up and spiraled through the air, dodging the attack and sending one of her own at the same time. Mia saw this and danced off to the side in avoidance as Shiva came back down from her jump and the two of them were face to face again.

Shiva lashed forward with a vertical blow, but it was promptly parried by Mia. Mia used this to counter-attack, but Shiva deflected her blow as well. Their swords locked and Shiva pushed her arms upward in order to disarm Mia. But Mia's grip on the Starlight Sword was tight and she managed to pull out of the lock and rush Shiva with her shoulder. Shiva was pushed back and Mia sent a stabbing lunge at her. But surprisingly, Shiva jumped over the stab and just above Mia's shoulder. She then kicked off of it, sending herself higher into the air and nearly flooring Mia at the same time. She then whirled about while still in the air and slashed down; her sword unleashing a wave of energy.

_Zhhhhhhkkkkkkk!_

The blast erupted on the ground, throwing up smoke and dust everywhere. But as Shiva began to descend from the sky, Mia suddenly flew out of the smoke and attacked. Shiva brought her sword across to block, but it still hit her enough to send her plummeting to the ground faster. Upon touching down, Shiva flipped back and readied herself to counter-attack. But Mia had already made it down from the sky as well and was charging at her. Shiva gave a wide, feral grin as she rushed at her as well. The two soon took to the sky again, soaring at each other with the Starlight Swords in their hands gleaming with energy and their blades met with yet another explosion

**SHHRRAAAACCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!**

The two landed across from each other, their backs toward the other and bent on one knee to the ground. Slowly the two rose up and faced each other. Mia appeared to be sweating heavily as a bit worse for wear, but her eyes remained focused. Heero saw this as well and knew that the fight wasn't over yet. But the tension he was sensing told him that it was about to end.

But that wasn't the only think he was sensing...

Blinking in surprise, Heero's eyes suddenly shot up toward the citadel. Whiteblaze roared as he looked up and Shiva and Mia looked toward the dark structure as well. The darkness that had been surrounding the fortress was now spreading out everywhere, further shadowing the landscape in its black aura. They could feel the malevolent energy coursing out from within. That could only mean one thing.

Nanashi...

-------------------------------------------------------------

_Slaaaassssssh!_

Another Dynasty soldier fell to the dragon rapier of the Celestial of the Oceans as Wufei and the others fought their way through the Dynasty horde. From his standpoint, Wufei knew it was a waste of time to deal with them. Yet their numbers seemed to be never-ending and the Celestials and Ronins were locked into a battle with them.

"This is a waste of time." he voiced to the others.

Trowa smashed down two soldiers with his staff before he answered. "We'll have to make a broader path if we are to continue on."

Both Sage and Hilde hacked down a couple of soldiers into vapor. "We're listening if you have any ideas."

"How about we use the Inferno armor?" Kento shouted as he smashed in the face of yet another soldier.

"No. That should be saved for emergencies." Rowen replied, letting loose a slew of arrows upon the soldiers. "But a combined attack from two of us should do the job."

"I have an idea." Quatre said soon after. "Duo, you and Ryo can use your attacks to get through the soldiers." A soldier attacked him from behind, only to be smacked backward by the Celestial's nunchuku. "The fire will serve as an extra barrier for us to go on to the citadel."

A soldier was rendered in two by Duo's scythe. "Sounds like a plan, Q-man. But try telling him that."

Pointing over to the side, they saw Ryo continuing to slash and slice on through the enemy line. Although he was still close enough to provide support to the others, he seemed intent on hacking through the enemy line.

"Ryo!"

The Ronin turned for a moment. "I heard you." Turning back, he linked his swords together. "Lead off."

Both Quatre and Rowen gave a sigh of relief. Since Mia left, Ryo had been insistent on reaching her, almost leaving them behind. Even now, Quatre could sense his worry and the other were keen of it as well. But as reckless as he was, Ryo wasn't one to leave his comrades in the midst of a battle, no matter his feelings. His only option right now was to end it and move on toward the citadel as fast as possible.

"All right. Showtime."

Duo grinned as he backed away for space. The others moved away from him as well as he began whirling his scythe. Heat waves swarmed around him as his armor's power began to manifest and dark flames lit about in the spinning weapon. With the soldiers occupied with fighting Ryo, they didn't realize that an even bigger threat was about to be unleashed.

_"Armor of Hellfire! __**Demon Gate!**__"_

The fire flew out in a horizontal tornado of blazing destruction. The soldiers were too late in avoiding it as it stormed on through the battlefield. The fire soon engulfed Ryo as well, causing the ronin to let out a strained moan as his battle mask came over his face. Even if they were the same element, it was difficult taking on another's attack. Furthermore, the power flooding into his armor was a lot to handle. But Ryo took it in and near the aftermath of the attack, he lifted his swords high.

_"Armor of Wildfire! __**Flare Up Now!**__"_

The blade burned white as he slashed down, furthering the destruction of Dynasty soldiers with his own fire wave attack and completing the trail needed for them to continue on. Turning back, he saw the others disengaging from the soldiers and beginning to move down the fiery path. But suddenly, a chill wave coursed through Ryo's senses and he turned back around to look toward the possible source. The other too, felt the same sensation because they all stopped and glanced up in the same direction as Ryo. The citadel seemed to flare with a black aura, blacker than even the dark sky that it created.

"What...is that?"

Before anyone could answer, a clawed hand materialized from the midst of the citadel. A massive armored form soon followed from behind it, emerging from the citadel in a wave of malevolent energy and intent. Black wings spread out wide from behind and emerald eyes gleamed down at the battle, the Ronins and the Celestials.

"So it is true..." Quatre whispered. "His body... It's a gundam."

And it wasn't just any gundam. Indeed, for those who had seen and faced this particular machine knew of the destruction it was capable of. The armor may have been black and a few parts altered, but it was definitely a machine that they recognized.

Nanashi's body...was the rebuilt Epyon Gundam...


	76. Chapter 75

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

-

Chap. 84

-

_**"At last."**_

Standing atop the black citadel, the Epyon-armored Nanashi looked about on the world around him. Thoughts of terror and conquest came into the Dynasty lord's mind as he gazed about at the mortal world. Bringing an armored hand to his side, he pulled out the beam saber and ignited it. A flash of emerald energy shone forth and solidified into a giant blade, which he lifted up toward the sky.

_**"At long last, after thousands of years, I, Nanashi, have come to the mortal realm!"**_ Lowering the blade, he soon pointed it to the darkened horizon. _**"Now my warriors, go forth and declare my power to all! Let this realm know that its new master has arrived!**_

The Netherrealm mist spread out and flowed everywhere, swarming out speedily and soon going for beyond the country, slowly encompassing through and around the entire world. Already, Nanashi could feel the fear of people as Dynasty soldiers began to appear out of nowhere on the streets of the places where the mist had spread to. With no technology and fading daylight, the entire world would soon be at his mercy with absolutely nothing to fight him with.

_**"Let begin the reign of the Neo Dynasty!"**_

-----------------------------

"So that's Nanashi..."

Dorothy marveled at the dark creature atop the citadel as she, Une, Sally and a small group of Preventors emerged from the forest not too far from the battlefield. They had arrived just in time to see Nanashi's emergence from the citadel.

"Looks like we made it on time." Sally said after taking in a view of the battle. Turning to Une, she asked. "Think we should head around toward the citadel?"

"No. There's no need to." She then added solemnly. "Everything that will happen will happen here."

At this, Dorothy looked at the Preventor commander and raised an eyebrow. "Intuition, Lady Une?"

"Experience."

"I agree." the golden haired woman replied with a nod. "The battlefield is always the heart of events." Sally began to give her a strange look, but Dorothy continued. "And the finale."

With a sigh, Sally returned her attention to the battle. "So we're waiting here then?"

"Yes."

------------------

On the battlefield, both the Ronins and Celestials looked up in horror as Nanashi let out his declaration to the world. That horror grew when the Dynasty master leapt off the citadel, his metallic wings spreading out as he soared over toward them and then hovered above them in the air with his arms folded.

_**"Ronins and Celestials!"**_ he crackled with a voice like thunder. _**"We meet at last!"**_

"And it's going to be a short meeting too, metal head!" Kento replied defiantly.

_**"Unfortunate, for you. But to see such power as your go to waste..."**_ Unfolding his arms, he beckoned. _**"Join the Neo Dynasty. As my warriors, you can join me in laying claim this world. Everything that you could desire from it would be yours for the taking."**_

Through calm eyes, Trowa responded. "There's nothing to desire in a world of fear and lifelessness."

Folding his arms back, Nanashi spoke back. _**"A limitation of vision on your part. But if you seek annihilation, then so be it."**_

No time was wasted on the part of two of the Ronins, who immediately went for their surekill attacks and aimed them straight at the hovering form.

_**"Armor of Strata! Arrow Shock Wave!"**_

_**"Armor of Halo! Thunder Bolt Cut!"**_

The attacks of Rowen and Sage soared up and hit their mark true on, exploding with a great light as they hit their target. But when the light cleared away, Nanashi was in exactly the same posture and stance as before, having made no attempt to defend himself.

_**"Ha! How pitiful!"**_

Hilde blinked in surprise. "What? Not even a scratch?"

_**"Did you honestly think you can compare to my powers and my armor, both of which this world supplies me with?"**_

"He's right." Rowen frowned, realizing his error. "Remember, like Talpa, his power is drawn from the fear and terror of his prisoners. And it must be really powerful since he's abducted just about everyone from the colonies."

"Not only that, but he's suited in a gundam." Duo added with a scowl. "It's going to take a lot to damage that, especially since its Epyon."

_**"There's more than that to my power."**_ Nanashi thundered. _**"Or have you forgotten that I also control the heart of all your powers as well?"**_

Unfolding his arms again, Nanashi spread out his hands and brought them to his chest, forming a triangle with his fingers. A dim sphere of light began to form within the triangle which suddenly flashed brightly. The Ronins and Celestials were blinded by the light, but that was only the beginning as beams of light shot out from Nanashi and struck each of them. There was no pain from the light, just a surge of energy that rippled through the armors.

"What's happening to us?"

Kento lifted his arms to look at his armor. The others did likewise and they saw that their armors appeared to be dimming away. Not leaving them completely, but they appeared to be fading from their usual color and energy.

"I'm...losing power..." Ryo muttered.

"It's the Jewel of Light." Quatre exclaimed. "He's using it against us."

_**"That's right. With the Jewel of Light in my possession, there is nothing you can do to stop me."**_ The Dynasty master then stretched out his arm. _**"Go, my Warlords! They are yours!"**_

From his shoulder, three dark forms leapt up and smashed down to the ground in front of the team. Sekmet, Kale and Dais faced the Ronins and Celestials, their eyes completely shadowed and their weapons drawn. Kale moved first, lifting his nodachi and then slashing forward, creating a wave on violent energy and sending it right at the team. The heroes scattered to dodge, but Trowa, Sage and Kento were caught in the brunt of the attack and hurled brutally to the ground. The Warlords then began to stalk toward the rest of the team as they recovered.

"This is bad." Cye replied as he helped Sage to his feet. "Real bad."

Quatre nodded in agreement as he helped up Trowa. "We should withdraw for now."

"Run away?" Wufei frowned.

"At the moment, we don't have a choice." Kayura replied. "We can't fight them like this. Until they arrive, we're outmatched."

Ryo frowned as well, but didn't argue as he moved to help Kento up. Whether he liked it or not (and he really didn't like it), there was nothing any of them could do to fight right now. With their powers weakening, they wouldn't last long against the horde of solders coming up against them, much less the dark-empowered Warlords. And that would still leave Nanashi himself to deal with, a creature more powerful than Talpa and armored by a gundam. His worry for Mia hadn't changed, but he was helpless to do anything now. He would have to trust in Heero and Whiteblaze to keep her safe until later.

Provided there was a later...

"Let's get out of here."

As the team began their retreat, the Warlords began to move in to stop them. Dais unhooked the chin-lin-tao from his back and shot the hooks forward, toward Hilde. Hilde turned to see them coming, but was unable to stop them. Fortunately, a metal chain flew out of seemingly nowhere and deflected the hooks, causing them to return back to their owner.

"I'll distract them." Kayura said, landing in between the Celestial and the Warlords. "Get going."

Hilde wasn't given the chance to argue, for Kayura had already begun dashing toward the three dark Warlords with the chain of her kusuri-gama flailing behind her. She had every intention of getting the attention of the Warlords long enough for the Celestials and Ronins to get away, but if she had told them what she was really planning, they would have never let her go, at least go alone. But it had to be done.

Seeing her approach, the Warlords charged at her in response. But as they closed in, Kayura jumped up over their heads and spun around, the weight on the end of the chain flailing about with her and slamming into them. It wasn't much of a blow, but it did get their attentions focused on her now.

"As I promised, I will not stop until I break Nanashi's hold on you." she said after she landed. Lifting up her fingers, her face became one of focused concentration and her armor began to flicker.

_'Sister... I will need your help...'_

--------------------------

As the battle between Nanashi, the Celestials and the Ronins grew heated, in front of the dark citadel, Mia and Shiva continued to square off. Unmasked now, Shiva couldn't hide the feral grin on her face as she gazed at her opponent.

"I don't think I've had this much fun in quite a while, Lady Mia. But now that my master has arrived, I must join him in his conquest." She then lifted her sword up to the skies; her grin turning feral.

"So...let's say we end this right now!"

Mia watched as a crimson aura swirled about around Shiva and centering into her sword. Closing her eyes for a moment, Mia mimicked Shiva's action, lifting her sword up as well and summoning the same energy. The two warriors brimmed with the energy of their Starlight swords, causing Whiteblaze to back away as well as Heero. As the stars above twinkled in response to their energy, each woman spoke only one word.

_**"Shine!"**_

_**"Shock!"**_

In a flash, bolts of red lightning stuck down on the two, engulfing them both in a flash of light which was quickly followed by a grand explosion. Once again, Heero and Whiteblaze backed away from the light and flying dust as the energy of the attacks spiraled up into the sky and began to dissipate altogether. When the dust began to clear away, Heero looked to see Shiva and Mia standing in the midst of a wide crater facing each other and panting.

Judging from their pace of breath, Heero saw that Mia had stressed herself out more than her dark counterpart. That meant that Shiva had turned out to be the stronger in that match. Even though Mia was still standing, Heero saw that there was a good chance that Mia would lose. His hands began to inch toward his swords. That was supposed to be their last attack, but if the fight continued and Mia began to falter further, he would have to intervene despite his word...

"You win."

Both Heero and Shiva blinked as Mia said those words. Taking a moment to breathe, Mia relaxed her stance and stare at Shiva. "There's no denying that you are the stronger of this fight. So you win."

For a moment, the normally cold eyes of Shiva turned to confusion. "You're...giving up?"

"To fight any further would be pointless now." Mia answered, strangely calm. "So yes. I give up."

Fury began to swell in the dark avatar. "What sort of trick is this? Do you mean to give up just like that?"

Mia nodded. "It's obvious that the Starlight Swords would prefer to have you rather than me. So take it." Weakly, she held up the Starlight sword and reversed her grasp on it. "It's yours."

Shiva stood there a moment, studying her rival for any signs of deception, but finding nothing of the sort. "You're serious. You would sign over your life just like that?" When Mia gave no reply, Shiva began to advance toward her. "Very disappointing. I guess foolish was the right word for you after all."

Again, there was no reply. From the sidelines, Heero again reached for his swords. He couldn't let Shiva gain the second sword back. With Nanashi already loose, Shiva would be an additional problem. In fact, if she rejoined her master, the Ronins and the Celestials were as good as finished. But before he could think of a move to make, Mia gave him a brief look before turning back to the approaching Shiva. It was a brief gaze, but to him, the message was clear.

_Trust me..._

Shiva soon stood a foot away from Mia and stopped. She had noticed Mia glance and was ready for an attack or surprise of any sort. But the song of the second sword was strong in her mind now, that she knew that Mia was in fact giving it back to her. Once she had the sword, she would be able to tap into its true power. When that happens, the Neo-Dynasty would be unstoppable.

A smile came up over her lips as Mia stretched out her arm, the hilt of the sword in her hand. Shiva reached up quickly and grabbed hold of the sword, feeling the complete power and purity surge into her. It was such that she didn't even hear Mia whisper to her after she had taken the sword.

"Wake up... Miss Relena..."


	77. Chapter 76

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

-

Chap. 85

-

Backing away into the tree-land area, the Celestials and the Ronins continued to create some distance between themselves and the pursuing Dynasty. With Sage, Trowa and Kento still hurt from Kale's earlier attack, their ability to fight was all but negated. However, it wasn't a total retreat and every so often, one of them would stop to take down out soldier or two that managed to catch up to them before the rest caught up.

"Heeyyaaahh!"

This time, it was Wufei's turn as his dragon rapier stabbed through a soldier that had caught up with them. As the soldier fell and became dust, Wufei looked up to see several more coming at him. _'Damn it'_ he thought, seeing that too many had caught up to him. Hopping back, Wufei shot his arms forward, with the blade of his sword against his palm. Bubbles of water quickly formed around him, surrounding him in a single giant bubble that seemed to pulsate. He didn't want to resort to this option, but he had little choice at the moment.

_**"Armor of Oceania! Tsunami Blast!**_

Slicing his rapier forward, the Celestial of the Ocean unleashed a torrent wave of water upon the pursuing soldiers. The waters quickly swept through the tree-land and engulfed the soldiers before they could attempt to avoid it. The wave soon died down and Wufei made ready to retreat with the others. But then he found himself falling on his hands and knees, groaning. His armor flickered wildly around him and soon disappeared altogether.

"Wufei!"

The first to seeing Wufei fall, Duo reversed direction and rushed back to help his fallen comrade. As he did, a set of soldiers who weren't caught by Wufei's attack began to descend upon him. Wufei looked up to see them come and his clenched his fist, ready to fight. But his body felt so weak that he was doubtful that he could even let out a decent punch. But that proved unnecessary as the crimson-red blade of Duo's scythe flew through the air and sliced them in half.

"Wufei, are you alright?" Duo asked as he made his way beside him, retrieving his weapon as he did.

Wufei growled as he tried to rise up. "Let's just say, I've been better."

Grabbing his arm, Duo helped Wufei up to his feet, only to find himself wobbling a bit. His armor flickered a bit, but remained in place.

"What the heck...?"

They didn't have to ask because they already knew. Nanashi was still draining their power away and with every passing moment, they were getting weaker. As Duo steadied himself, Wufei looked behind and saw more soldiers coming at them. A few were shot down by an approaching Rowen's arrows, but they continued to come.

"We don't have much time."

-----------------------0

Meanwhile, not too far away, Kayura continues to hold the attention of the Dark Warlords, keeping them from pursuing the others. But this meant that she had to take on their fury by herself. Already, they were pressing their attacks, striking at her with near-hits.

_Skkkk! Skkkk! Skkkk! Skkkk!_

The hooked blades of the Warlord of Illusion clawed speedily at Kayura, who upon seeing them, dodged immediately. Sekmet and Kale soon dashed in from the sides, hoping to corner her in after her evasion. But Kayura saw their approach and back-flipped into the air, rotating her body so that her chains would whip about and cause them to halt their attack and give her some breathing time. The trick worked and both Warlords were forced to dodge the wildly flying chain.

Landing back on her feet, Kayura collected herself. So far, despite their attacks, she had only received minimal damage. Only her greater agility was saving her life right now and that was passing with each moment, due to Nanashi's inference. The dark lords did nothing else aside from hover above the battlefield and watch the scattered team in retreat. They had to get the Jewel of Light away from him and soon, before their power-loss grew worse.

_'Just have to hold out a little longer...'_

Her attention back on the Warlords, the warrior-priestess held up her weapon. The three Warlords stalked toward her again, coming slowly this time. Kayura held her defensive posture, awaiting the imminent attack. Soon enough, it came, as Sekmet rushed at her first, his arms spreading out and multiplying until it appeared as though he had six arms (and swords). Kayura repeatedly dodged the rapid-moving attacks Sekmet unleashed, but she found herself slowing down in the midst of it.

"Haaaayahhhh!"

Just then, Dais attacked from the left side, his nunchuku flailing out in blurs. Kayura lifted the blade of her kusuri-gama to defend against the attack, but the force of it caused her to stumble back. And as she did, Kale came in just behind Dais, his wooded sheath hammering her in the back and knocking her down.

"Guah!"

Kayura hit the ground hard and rolled back. She moved to rise, but found her weakened condition prevented her from doing right away. Still, despite that and the menacing way they advanced on her form, her thoughts were quite the opposite. They were fighting her, but not like before. Why did Kale use the sheath and not the sword? And why were none of them using their sure kill attacks? They might have been able to end it quickly if they had (not that she was looking forward to that).

"You're...still in there...aren't you?" she muttered as she struggled to rise up again. This time, she managed to make to her feet, all the while keeping her eyes on the three. "The darkness is strong, but you can overcome it." Her armor was riddled with damage, but the look in her eyes was one of sheer determination.

"And I am going to help you."

Suddenly, a beam of light soared out into the sky and struck Kayura. Her armor glowed in pure white so bright that the Warlords had to shield their eyes. The light soon faded away and the Warlords looked to see that not only was her armor completely restored, but her helmet was now on her head, with the battle mask shrouding her face.

_'Her armor's been restored to its full power?'_

Nanashi's gaze lifted from the fight to look toward the source. Something in the forest had just recharged Kayura's armor and he was going to find out what. As Nanashi moved away, Kayura noted this with some despair. There had been a risk that Nanashi would do this when she beseeched Une for some of the Staff's power, but she was hoping that Nanashi wouldn't care. Her power would fade away again and she wouldn't be able to recharge it next time. But it couldn't be helped. She just had to hope that Une would be able to hold her own until _they_ arrived.

_In the meantime, the Warlords..._

"Let's go, boys."

----------------------0

"Well, that got his attention all right."

The Preventor team watched as Une used the power of the Staff and sent a beam of energy into the battlefield toward Kayura's position. And now because of that, Nanashi was now approaching their location. Keeping her sights set on the incoming Dynasty lord, she gave an order to the others.

"Everyone, fall back into the woods and stay out of sight."

"Commander?"

"I have to stay. Nanashi's only after me." Sally was about to protest, but Une cut her off with a glance. "You have your orders. Go."

Reluctantly, Sally and the other Preventors began to pack up and back into the forest. However, Dorothy casually strode over to Une's side, her eyes also on the approaching Nanashi.

"You know, I am not under your command." she said, half-smirking. "So technically, you can't order me."

Une sighed. _'Girl never did make things easy.'_ "Then I'll just ask. Please get away."

Despite the incoming danger, Dorothy folded her arms. "I'm not one for running away from a fight, much less leaving a comrade behind to fight alone." A pause. "But I suppose it wouldn't do me much good to stay now, would it?"

With that, Dorothy followed the others into the woods, leaving Une by herself. Stepping out into a clearing, she looked up as Nanashi finally came into range. The gundam armored dark lord looked down from the sky to see the Preventor commander and his eyes soon caught sight of the Staff of the Ancients in her grasp.

_**"Another Ancient?"**_ Nanashi sneered. _**"Interesting. Seems that your kind doesn't take extermination well."**_

Une held her ground. "From what I've heard, neither does yours."

_**"You witch!"**_ In a flash, Nanashi reared his arm back, his hand summoning forth a spiral of terrible dark energy. _**"I'll bury you will the rest of your clan!"**_

_**SHHHHAAAARRRRRRKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!**_

-------------------------0

The arrows of the Ronin of the Skies struck down the pursing soldiers as Duo helped Wufei in retreat. But it was a short moment as more soldiers could be seen coming after them. Seeing that they were still in danger, Cye wheeled about and attacked with a single swipe of his yari, cutting down the soldiers while they were in mid-run. But Cye was soon struck himself by a spear that caught him in the shoulder.

"Cye, are you alright?"

"Yeah. It just grazed me. I'll be fine."

"This is crazy. We can't retreat while taking hits like this."

"Agreed." Quatre replied from nearby. "We may have to use our full power to throw them of. That would at least buy us some time."

"That would leave us vulnerable afterward, Quatre." Hilde said.

"Yeah. And at the moment, only the three of you guys can do it." Rowen added. "You, Hilde, and Cye."

"If we do it in sequence, one after the other, it may be enough." Quatre answered; his mind already in motion. "It's not much, but it's better than these guys picking us off one by one."

"Guess at this point, we don't have much of a choice." Cye said with a sigh. "Guess we should just go for it."

With that three warriors leapt forward and confront the soldiers. Taking the lead, Quatre connected his nunchuku together and held it forward. Light began to shine from out of the ground around him and upon the advancing soldiers.

_**"Armor of Dune! Gaia's Wrath!"**_

Stabbing his weapons into the ground, the Celestial of the Sands caused the entire terrain to explode in an eruption of light. Trees and brushes turned to debris and Dynasty soldiers caught in it shared the same fate, tossed away by the power. The attack soon died down, but that simply signaled Cye's turn as he held up his yari and began absorbing water from the surrounding area.

_**"Armor of Torrent! Superwave Smasher!"**_

From the bubble formed from the absorption of water came a torrent of liquid bullets, which flew out and hammered into everything. Soldiers that managed to avoid Quatre's attack were pelted down by Cye's as the attack smashed them into dust. Soon enough, his attack stopped and Hilde moved forward, her blades crossed and bristling with cold energy.

_**"Armor of...!"**_

However, before her surekill attack could be unleashed, her armor began to short out, electrifying her and soon enough disappearing altogether, leaving her in her sub-armor and taking with it all the power she had worked to muster for her attack.

"No...Not now!"

Weakly, Hilde stumbled onto the ground, feeling the drain of energy more severely this time. Quatre and Cye moved to her and began helping her up.

"Hilde! What wro.... Ahhh!"

Before he could finish, Quatre felt his armor shorting against him as well. Cye turned to him in concern, only to go through the same thing soon after. Behind them, all the Ronins and Celestials cried out as their armors retracted from their bearers, leaving them all weak and defenseless.

And the soldiers were still coming...

Weakly, the trio moved back and away, regrouping with the others. The situation was really bad. Their armors and powers were gone, they were weakened by the retraction, their energy was still dropping and a Dynasty horde was coming upon them. They couldn't fight them, running was out of the question, and there was nowhere to hide. On top of that, Sage, Trowa, Wufei, and Kento were still unconscious from the earlier attacks.

_'Is this...the end?'_

Looking up at the soldiers that were closing in on them, Ryo then turned his gaze to the others (the ones that were still conscious) as they stood beside to see the horde. They all looked at each other, the same expressions on their faces; the knowledge that they were a few minutes away from being totally slaughtered. So it came as little surprise when Duo managed to grin and look over to Quatre

"So what do you think?"

Quatre returned the grin, albeit rueful. "Another losing battle."

Ryo clenched his fists as he returned his gaze to the soldiers, his expression turning into one of calmness. The others did the same, looking on the advancing horde without fear. If this was to be their last fight, then so be it. Their fists at their sides, the team awaited the horde of Dynasty soldiers as they closed in on them when...

_**SRRRRHHHHHHKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!**_

------------------------------------0

"Haaaaaaa!"

Kayura let out a battle cry as she dashed toward the Warlords full speed. Her kusuri-gama flew out full speed and collided with Sekmet's own blades, locking them up. As the two remained together, Dais came in from the side, his arm raised high with the hooks of his chin-lin-tao coming together. From the corner of her eye, Kayura saw this and quickly used the chain weight of her weapon to deflect the weapon before they came down on her.

_'Come on, Kale...'_

She would only have one shot at this. Her renewed powers were beginning to fade again, so she could afford to miss this. She had taken the offensive approach to get them close together, but if she timed this wrong, she would be crushed. Just then, Kale came in from near the rear, his nodachi ready to impale her this time. With her arms occupied with Dais and Sekmet, Kale would be able to finish her quickly.

Or so he believed...

As Kale closed in, Kayura suddenly pulled back the chain, which Dais hadn't noticed was wrapped around his hand. At the same time, she disengaged from Sekmet and flipped backward, flying just over Kale's head. The three Warlords almost crashed into each other as Kayura landed behind them, her chain whirling and glowing with energy.

"Now! _**Quake With Fear!**_"

Letting it loose, the crimson chain flew toward the Warlords and struck the ground before it reach. This in turn, let loose multiple chains which entangled the three. This went on for a minute until their weapons and their limbs were completely trapped in a series of chain locks, unable to move. Kayura held on to the main chain, keeping them imprisoned.

"Kale, Sekmet, Dais, listen to me. I know you are not the demons that Nanashi is trying to make you into. You are like me, the warriors chosen to defend the mortal realm as its first line of defense."

The strain on the chain began to tighten, indicating that they were still trying to escape. Kayura felt her strength slipping. Time was running short and she hadn't reached them. But that didn't stop her from continuing on.

"I know. The darkness is powerful, but you can overcome it." The kanji symbol of _Chu_ -Loyalty- shimmered on her forehead. "But we can only do that together."

For a moment, the struggle against the chains seemed to lessen. But then a shock ripped right through the imprisoning chains in the form of black lightning. Kayura fell back as the chains shattered to pieces, freeing the three Warlords from her trap. Kale led the way, his nodachi still crackling with energy from his attack. Kayura looked up as Kale approached her, snarling somewhat and grasping the side his head. Brief flashes of his kanji symbol, _Ko_ -Obedience- could be seen, but it didn't stop him from approach with evil intent.

"Fight it!" Kayura cried out.

The other two seemed to suffer more so from it because they were unable to approach at all, holding their heads in agony. Kale however, continued to come and was soon standing over Kayura. His teeth were gritted and his expression hard as he lifted the sword up to strike down. Kayura understood. Out of all the Warlords, his was based off the power of darkness. His battle would be harder than the rest. Kale paused, the kanji flashing continuously. His face contorted and with a pained cry, he slashed down...

_Claannnggggg!!_

...and hit two crossed swords...

---------------------------------------0

_**SHHHHAAAARRRRRRKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!**_

The malevolent power of Nanashi's attack soared down and struck at Une position with a great explosion. Nanashi looked down at his destructive work, only to be shocked to find that his attack had been negated completely by a glow of light. The Staff of the Ancients shimmered in Une grasp as she had held it up, stopping his attack not only on herself, but on the surrounding area as well. It was as though Nanashi never attacked to begin with.

Within the light barrier, Une was again surprised. Since this whole ordeal started, she felt as though she had been led by a power beyond her control. Despite learning of her origins as an Ancient, she could still sense that there was more to her actions with the Staff aside from that. As if answer to her questioning thoughts, her vision caught sight of a young man in white monk garbs. Long coppery hair flowed from his head and his eyes were that of gentle steel.

_"Worry not. My spirit will help you."_

Une blinked and the figure was gone, bringing her mind back into the present where she had blocked off Nanashi's attack. The emerald eyes of the Dynasty master turned from green to crimson as he saw his attack had been thwarted.

_**"You think you can stop me?!"**_ he roared as he raised both his hands. Crackling with power, Nanashi clawed down at the barrier, unleash torrent after torrent of dark energy. Une held the Staff in both hands, using its power to hold back Nanashi once again. But Nanashi was relentless in his attack and continued to pour forth more energy.

_**"DIE!!!!!"**_

Une soon began to feel the effects of his attack and the barrier began to shrink down. The Preventor/Ancient strained as she continued to hold up the barrier, but Nanashi wouldn't stop and the barrier was shrinking further. Being forced onto one knee, Une saw that she was approaching her limit. Despite the mysterious guidance of whomever it was that she saw earlier, her strength was sapping away. The barrier shrunk even further and soon, it was a thin bubble surrounding only her, with Nanashi's attacks decimating the surrounding area.

_**"AND NOW IT ENDS!!!!"**_

_Thhhhhwwwwpppp!!!_

------

The forces of the Dynasty seemed to pour in on the devastated forest in order to destroy the few remaining ones of the Celestial and Ronin Warriors. In the midst of it all though, the team stood fast, ready for combat. They were going to fight, but they weren't going to win. To an outsiders view, they were as good as dead.

And then a flash of light changed all of that...

Blinding them temporarily, the remaining Ronins and Celestials looked to see the Dynasty soldiers being lifted up into that light briefly before vaporizing altogether. As the light died down, the team was faced with a deep crater that scarred across the ground before them.

"Uh, should I even ask what just happened?" Ryo said after a moment of silence.

"Are you kidding?" Duo chuckled. "Whenever stuff blows up, you know he's around."

Indeed, a distance away, still clad in his armor with Whiteblaze at his side was the Celestial of Reflections.

Heero Yuy...

----------------

Kayura blinked in surprise as she looked up. She wasn't surprised that Kale attacked her. It was a possibility after all. The rescue that came to her didn't surprise her as much either, for she had been hoping for it. She wasn't even totally surprised to see her once prized weapons, the Starlight Swords, blocking off Kale's attack. What had surprised her was the identity of her rescuer.

Correction, _rescuers_...

On the right side of her with a Starlight Sword was Mia. She appeared ruffled and worn by what much have been a spectacular fight, but she was alright. To the left side, not as worn out and missing her trademark mask was Lady Shiva. No, not Shiva for Kayura saw the look in her eyes and immediately told the difference.

Not Lady Shiva... Relena... Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft...

---------

_'It sure took them long enough...'_

With that mental sigh, Une relaxed as she relinquished the barrier around her. Nanashi was no longer able to fire down on her as his attention was currently occupied by the heat rod that was coiled around his arm. A heat road that can be traced back to the white mobile suit that had soared in and stopped his attack on Lady Une.

The Tallgeese...


	78. Chapter 77

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

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Chap. 86

-

_(Back, a few hours ago)_

"I think our focus should be on a plan of attack. I think Kento has the right idea about attacking as soon as possible. We just need to find a way to deal with Nanashi when the time comes."

"We may have an idea for that."

The team looked over as Zechs spoke up for the first time and came into the group, with Noin right at his side. Une looked over at the former Dark Celestials and nodded for them to explain.

"Go on."

"I can take Nanashi on..." Zechs answered shortly. "...but we'll need the Tallgeese."

Duo blinked. "The Tallgeese?"

"As it stands, it is the only mobile suit left on earth that can take on a gundam."

"Yeah, but can it work?" Sally questioned. "If Nanashi gets into this world, all power will shut down."

Noin looked over to the side and replied. "That's why we'll need Yuli's help."

"Huh?" the boy blinked, suddenly becoming the center of attention.

Kayura caught on immediately. "You mean the Jewel of Life, right?"

"Will that work?" Kento questioned

"We already know it has the power to negate Nanashi's power on that level." Zechs answered. "If Nanashi emerges, then we're going to need all the advantage we can get."

"You could test it on the Sunstreamer." Une suggested. "If that works, then I'll approve of it."

Nodding, Kayura then turned to the young boy. "It's up to you then, Yuli. Do you wish to do this?"

"Yeah." Yuli nodded. "If it helps you guys, then okay."

---------------

Zechs grimaced as he kept the heat rod of the Tallgeese latched onto Nanashi's arm, preventing him from harming Une who was below them. In the secondary seat behind him, Yuli held on tight, the Jewel of Life a steady glow on his chest. Nanashi glared at the Tallgeese and noticed the faint glow around the white mobile suit.

_**"The Jewel of Life!"**_

It had taken some time to prep the Tallgeese. Its last mission had left it semi-frozen in the docking bay with repair crew still trying to thaw it out. Using his armor's power, Zechs did so instantly (seeing as how he was the reason it was frozen to begin with) and with the Jewel of Life shielding it from Nanashi's power, the Tallgeese was ready for battle.

_**"Unhand me!"**_

With a mighty heave, Nanashi pulled out of the heat rod's hold and thus freed himself. The weapon retracted back to the Tallgeese and the machine immediately lunged at Nanashi, its boosters flaring. Nanashi flew back and opened his hand, summoning for a large black saber in his hand. When the Tallgeese drew close, Nanashi slashed out upon the machine, only to be stopped by its shield.

"Ghh!"

Fighting the shockwaves that were rattling through the mobile suit, Zechs hit a switch and jammed the controls forward. In response to his commands, the Tallgeese pulled out its beam saber from behind the shield while it pushed Nanashi back. Rearing its arm back, the beam saber ignited in a flare of energy as Tallgeese stood in opposition to Nanashi, who had recovered from the sudden shove. Zechs cast a brief glance to the boy seated behind him.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." Yuli answered shakily.

With a slight nod, Zechs returned his attention to the Dynasty lord before him. "Hang on tight. This is about to get rough."

And the two charged at each other...

---------------------------------

_(Back, a few minutes ago)_

"You win."

Shiva blinked as Mia said those words to her. Taking a moment to breathe, Mia relaxed her stance and stared at Shiva. "There's no denying that you are the stronger of this fight. So you win."

For a moment, the normally cold eyes of Shiva turned to confusion. "You're...giving up?"

"To fight any further would be pointless now." Mia answered, strangely calm. "So yes. I give up."

Fury began to swell in the dark avatar. "What sort of trick is this? Do you mean to give up just like that?"

Mia nodded. "It's obvious that the Starlight Swords would prefer to have you rather than me. So take it." Weakly, she held up the Starlight sword and reversed her grasp on it. "It's yours."

Shiva stood there a moment, studying her rival for any signs of deception, but finding nothing of the sort. "You're serious. You would sign over your life just like that?" When Mia gave no reply, Shiva began to advance toward her. "Very disappointing. I guess foolish was the right word for you after all."

Again, there was no reply. From the sidelines, Heero again reached for his swords. But before he could think of a move to make, Mia gave him a brief look before turning back to the approaching Shiva. It was a brief gaze, but it was enough to make him pause. Shiva soon stood a foot away from Mia and stopped. She had noticed Mia's glance and was ready for an attack or surprise of some sort. But when none came she reached out and took the hilt of the sword, smiling as she felt the complete power of the sword surge into her

"Wake up... Miss Relena..."

Shiva didn't hear Mia's whispered words; being to preoccupied with the song of the swords as well as the flood of energy going through her. Suddenly, she let out a sharp gasp as the sword energy began to conflict with her mind. Her eyes widened as the energy began to cause her to glow.

"What....?" She glared up at Mia. "What....have you....done...to me...? Nnh!"

Shiva stumbled down to her knees, remarkably still holding both the swords in her grasp as the energy continued through her, her eyes focused into the sky and her mouth open as though she was about to scream. At that point, Heero walked up to Mia's side, his eyes shifting between the two. Realizing that Heero wanted an answer, Mia whispered.

"Purity..."

Before she had left, Mia did some extensive research on the Starlight Swords. Coupled with what she had learned about the Ancient Ones and what Kayura had told her, she hypothesized that its true power would be able to awaken and purify the wielder. Just like the cave was a test for the Ancient Ones, the Starlight Sword had to work in the same manner.

But to release that power, they would have to choose their wielder, and for that, they would have to battle each other. It was that reason why the swords separated to begin with, with one going to Mia and the other to Relena. Just like the Fervor Soulswords, the Starlight Swords were seeking a suitable owner and they needed them to battle to find them.

"You never intended to win." Heero said simply.

Mia nodded. "The Starlight Swords choose the purest soul. And you know more than anyone that Relena beats me in that regard."

The energy around Shiva brightened further and as she was finally able to release a scream, the energy disappeared, leaving the woman bowed down to the ground gasping for air. Heero and Mia moved closer, cautiously at first. Seeing her bent down, both Heero and Mia moved closer to her, with Heero bending down to her level. The woman's eyes lifted, no longer the frozen glare of the Dark Avatar, but the now soft (and confused) eyes of the Vice-Foreign Minister.

"H-Heero..." she said shakily upon seeing him in front of her. But then her eyes lowered down again and she saw the two Starlight Swords in her grasp as well as her change in clothing.

"W-what... what happened to me...?"

"You don't remember?" Mia asked before she mentally smacked herself for asking. After all, when Kayura was released from Talpa's control, she had little to no memory of what she had done either.

"I...I'm not sure..." Relena answered. "I remember...waking up and...finding this." She held up one of the Starlight Swords. "Everything else...is so cloudy."

"That must have been before Nanashi got to you."

Relena blinked. "Nanashi?"

"It's a long story. But right now, we really need your he..."

"Ghhhh!"

Grabbing the side of his head, Heero growled in pain. Relena grasped his arm and blinked as she saw the kanji mark of Kosei -Individuality- flicker on his forehead. Mia moved around to see the same as well and realized what it meant, even more so when Whiteblaze let out a mournful roar.

"Heero!"

"It's the others, isn't it? They're in trouble."

"Yeah..." he murmured as he grit past the pain he was sensing.

Heero, you have to go to them. I'll go with Relena to find Kayura and Une.

Heero nodded in agreement. In addition to the urge he felt from his armor to join up with the others, he was pretty much going to do that anyway. Whether a Gundam pilot or a Celestial warrior, he was a soldier first and foremost. His place was the battlefield.

"But..."

Heero had begun to march off, but stopped upon hearing Relena speak. Turning his head, he saw she wanted to say more, but just couldn't bring herself to do it. Heero understood. While he may be a soldier, she was not. Her weapons were her words, not swords. Furthermore, though she no longer considered herself a Peacecraft, she was still pacifist by nature.

"Just remember your strength, Relena." he told her softly. "You can get through this." Their gazes met and Heero finished. "I...believe in you."

Relena's eyes widened for a brief moment and then she gave him a steady nod. Returning the gesture, Heero rushed off toward the others, with Whiteblaze by his side and leaving Relena with Mia.

---------------

It wasn't hard for Heero to find the others. Due to the bonds in their armor, it was a simple (a painful) task. What was hard was getting to them. He could sense the weakening of his armor and there were Dynasty soldiers everywhere. Fortunately, they were in a forest area, a good way to use stealth to get by the soldiers. And it was a good thing too, for when he reached them, they were at their last strings and about to be crushed. Despite their situation though, Heero saw their brave last stand against the Dynasty as the soldiers rushed in to destroy them.

_Not if he could help it..._

_**"Armor of Reflections! Mirrored Edge!"**_

The surekill attack wiped out the first stream of soldiers in an explosive flash that scarred the ground. Amid the confusion, Heero immediately went to work, slashing through the soldiers in rapid fashion, with Whiteblaze clawing his way through as well. The duo finally reached the others, with a trail of fallen soldiers behind them.

"Hey, Heero!"

Heero quickly took in the situation. Trowa, Sage and Kento were unconscious, Wufei seemed to be drifting back and forth between consciousness, and the others were a lot worse for wear. All of them were missing their armors and their sub-armors were heavily battered. Also, Kayura was missing.

"What happened?"

"It's Nanashi." Rowen answered a slight grimace on his face. "He's using the Jewel of Light to disable our armors.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, it seems like he's got the entire Dynasty attacking us." Cye added, looking back to see the horde beginning to come at them again.

"Fall back. We'll hold them off." Heero replied as Whiteblaze came up beside him, growling at the incoming horde.

"But Heero, you can't!" Quatre protested. "More than likely, your armor is affected as well. It won't be long before it shorts out too."

Hilde nodded in agreement. "He's right Heero. Staying to fight them now is suicide."

"Roger that." was the monotone reply before Heero and Whiteblaze leapt toward the incoming horde. They began to call for him, but he was already far gone.

"Just had to use the 'S' word, didn't you?" Duo joked painfully.

----------------

Mia grimaced as she and Relena held back Kale's attack on Kayura. After Heero had separated from them, the two of them sought out Lady Kayura. It seemed simple at first, but they were soon ambushed by a troop of Dynasty soldiers. Relena began to panic at first, but the Starlight Swords began to sing to her and before she knew it, she had devastated all of them in a matter of minutes.

Scratch that..._seconds_...

Mia had watched her move with such speed and grace that wasn't seen before, even in their fight against each other. The Starlight Swords were truly hers. Yet, strangely enough, Mia could still hear the song from them. This confused her, seeing that the swords had chosen their master.

So how come they were still singing to her?

Relena however, felt differently. She had just wiped out an entire enemy force and she wasn't aware as to how she did it. It just happened, simple as that. One minute, they were surrounded by demonic armored creatures and the next; she had razed through them and turned them into vapor of dust. She felt confused and soon panicked. She didn't know how she did this or what was even going on, and it began to terrify her.

_"I...believe in you."_

Those words help her to fight away the panic. Heero believed in her, needed her help. And if she could help him in this way, then she would do it. But she was still uncertain as to how to go about doing so. The Starlight Swords sung in her mind again and she turned to Mia

"Mia, yes...?"

Mia blinked and approached her. "Yes."

"I... I know I have to do this... I know I have to fight to help." Her head lowered for a moment and then she raised her left arm toward Mia, pointing the hilt of the sword toward her.

"But... I don't think...I can do this alone."

Nodding in understanding, Mia slowly took the sword from her grasp. For a moment, Mia expected something bad to happen, like a shock or something. After all, she had lost to Relena and so the Starlight Swords were no longer hers. But once she took in her own grasp, the song filled her mind more once again and she felt its energy fill her.

"You won't have to."

Relena gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

And so, the two women fought through more of the Dynasty and soon enough reached Kayura. She was currently in battle with the three Warlords and had chained them up in her attack. However, Kale managed to break out and advance on her. She was pleading, trying to reach him and for a moment it seemed that she succeeding. But he struck down at her in a roar of agony, ready to end her life.

Only to have two Starlight-wielding blurs stop him...

Relena and Mia had rushed in and crossed their swords to stop the deathblow. Kayura looked on in surprise; not only at being rescued, but that one of her saviors was their former enemy. Kale meanwhile, was still in apparent anguish as his symbol of Ko -Obedience- flashed rapidly on his forehead. The two women pushed him back and made ready for battle when Kayura lifted herself up and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"It's alright now." Her own mark of Chu -Loyalty- glowed steadily on her own forehead. "Right, Kale?

"K-Kayura..."


	79. Chapter 78

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

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Chap. 87

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"Ugghhh....?"

The eyes of the Warlord of Venom began to clear up as he noticed a couple of figures approaching him. Over him, actually, as he was on the ground looking up. As he painfully began to lift his body, his vision cleared enough to see Kayura standing over him with Kale, Mia and another woman he vaguely recognized.

"Kay?"

She lent down her hand with a slight smile. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

As Sekmet was hauled onto his feet, the remaining Warlord, Dais, was also being helped up. His normally calm face was now twisted in annoyance. "I can't believe this happened to us twice."

"This wasn't the same." Kayura refuted. "With Talpa, we were simply influenced. This was complete control." Truthfully, she was completely controlled by Talpa as well. But she didn't want them feeling any worse than what they felt now. "You are not responsible."

"Whether that is true or not, I'm getting tired of the Dynasty turning us into their pawns." Kale growled.

"Agreed." Sekmet said, his hands drifting to his swords. "I think we should return the favor."

"Nh!"

With a short cry, Kayura stumbled forward and almost fell. Sekmet and Kale managed to hold her steady before she could fortunately, and they noticed the dull fading of her armor.

"Kayura, your armor."

Raising her arm, Kayura noticed it as well. "Nanashi."

Regaining her footing, she turned to the group. "We don't have much time. We'll have to regroup with the others. I fear they are in worse straits than we are."

"Until now..."

Turning to Mia's words, Kayura, Relena and the Warlords looked around to see a mass of Dynasty soldiers surrounding them, all heavily armed. Weakly, Kayura readied her kusuri-gama, but knew that after her fight against the Warlords that she was in no shape to battle. Even less so with Nanashi using the power of the Jewel of Light to siphon her strength. But she still had to fight. There was no choice. And she wouldn't fight alone.

"Warlords! To arms!"

-----------------------------------------

_**Shhhhcccckkkk!**_

Nanashi's sword and the beam saber of the Tallgeese lit up the skies as they fought one another in a spectacular duel. The power and strength of the Dynasty lord was overwhelming. Fueled by the fear and anguish of those he captured, the Jewel of Light at his core, and the strength of one of the most powerful gundams as his armor, Nanashi was all but invincible.

Nevertheless, the Tallgeese held it ground against him...

Inside the white mobile suit, Zech gritted his teeth as he defended himself against another attack from Nanashi. So far, he wasn't surprised by the way the battle was turning out. Even with his skill with the Tallgeese, he knew that Nanashi would have the advantage in this fight. Also, with Yuli seated with him, he couldn't really go all out, not without risking the boy's life. That seemed to be a moot point now, given the way Nanashi was attacking him. Using its venier boosters, Tallgeese shot away from Nanashi as he attacked, landing on the ground below

_'I can't drag this out any longer.'_

Looking up, Zechs saw Nanashi descending upon him, his black wings spread out like a demon as his sword made ready to strike down. Analyzing the situation, Zechs grimaced. He knew what he would have to do to get their plan to work, but it was going to be very close. Nanashi slashed out with his sword, threatening to behead the white mobile suit. Tallgeese met the slash with a block from its beam saber, but Nanashi shoved Tallgeese back and pressed the assault. Again, the Tallgeese blocked the attack and again, Nanashi pressed, rearing his sword back into a stab and aiming straight for the cockpit.

_**"Now it ends!"**_

"Not yet, it hasn't."

In a deft move, the Tallgeese twisted its wrist around and deflected the stab with its saber. But the sword continued on and impaled the machine left shoulder. Nanashi's eyes gleamed victoriously, but suddenly, the Tallgeese dropped its saber and grabbed hold of Nanashi's arm. Nanashi tried to pull away, but the grip of the Tallgeese was relentless and with the way the Tallgeese's legs were planted on the ground, Nanashi was unable to break free.

_**"Release me!"**_

Zechs didn't respond to Nanashi. Rather, he picked up a second communicator within the cockpit and switched in on.

"Noin, now!"

As the Tallgeese held on to Nanashi, a compartment opened up on the back of the white suit, revealing the Celestial of the Suns within. As soon as it opened, Noin rushed out from the back and onto the damaged shoulder of the Tallgeese. Still in motion, she made her way onto Nanashi's arm while he was still being held and unsheathed her jitte. _'Just a little bit further.'_ She was about to make her move when an object coming at her caught her eye. On instinct, she ducked her head, just as an arrow soared on and past her.

_'Guess I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.'_

Standing on the shoulder of Nanashi, currently arming his bow and arrow for another shot was the Celestial of the Storms.

Cyclone...

-------------------------------

In the forest area, Dynasty soldiers literally stormed through the green, seeking out their weakened targets without the slightest hesitation. With both the Ronins and Celestials in retreat, it was only a matter of time before they caught up to them again and finish them off.

But they didn't expect a sole figure to dive out from the trees above them, swords in hands...

With a loud cry, Heero dove out from the trees and sliced apart two soldiers in swift succession. His hands then quickly swept off to the side, beheading two more before he even touched the ground. The swords of Mirage flashed again, taking down three more soldiers. By the time they noticed his presence, Heero had managed to take down seven soldiers and was bearing down on three more.

However, their responses were quicker and they blocked his incoming attack with a cross from their yari. Heero ducked low and made a quick attack to their legs, only to have a weighted chain fly out of nowhere to intercept his strike. Taking only a minute to look back and see his adversary, Heero whirled about, seeming to attack the chain wielder when in fact, his spin continued on and he spun back to the last soldier he had attacked. The said soldier had lunged in to attack Heero, only to be caught by the returning blade and vaporize into dust.

Hoping back, the Celestial of Reflection made ready his next assault when several more weighted chains soared at him. He ducked to the side in avoidance, but one of them hit him heavily in the ribs. The pain was there, but Heero's face remained impassive as he swooped forward in counterattack. The soldier pulled back his chain to defend and as Heero slashed out, the soldier quickly caught the blade and twisted it within the metal. However, Heero pulled back before the chain tightened and stabbed forward, running the soldier through. Another soldier soon came in from the side, almost within Heero's blind spot. Without thought, Heero whipped his second blade forward, diverting the attack of the soldier and holding him in place long enough for the second blade to rip across him.

With the soldier turning to dust, Heero looked around for the next set of targets. Despite the control he had over his breathing, it was quite shallow. Also, sweat was leaking out all over his face and he began to feel the aches of fatigue set in. Normally, he was trained to ignore and bypass these signs in order to complete a mission, but this was different. It wasn't just that he was tiring, but his energy was being drained from him. That considerably shortened his battle time. Also, the group he had defeated was only because he surprised them, and he knew that wouldn't happen again. And if that wasn't enough, he saw more soldiers coming toward him from the trees, all in three-man formations.

It was then that he realized it.

Battle formation...almost instant reaction time...the Zero system...

He remembered that the Warlords had been affected by the Zero system within Nanashi and now it seems that the system had filtered down to the soldiers as well. Normally, it would still be possible for him to fight them off. His mastery over the Zero system gave him a distinct advantage over them. However, his weakening of strength would be a hindrance. In order to be successful, he would have to take down as many soldiers as he could within a short amount of time. But the enemy forces seemed endless, so he had to settle for just taking down as many as he could before he fell.

_'A challenge, huh...'_

Spreading his swords outward, Heero charged at them. A swift offensive was his best option right now and he was going to make the most of it. Reaching the first group, Heero slashed upward causing the lead soldier to block. But as soon as he did, the second sword came to bear, aiming for the legs. However, the soldier to the right had predicted his attack and stabbed forward with his yari in order to stop Heero and incapacitate him as well.

And it would have worked had not Heero anticipated it...

Twisting his grip on the sword Heero re-angled it so that he was able to deflect the incoming attack. Though that meant his initial target was spared from his first attack, that would only be temporary case. His focus now on the second, Heero suddenly lunged forward and cracked the soldier's face with a knee attack. As that soldier fell, the third of the group charged from behind. Without looking, Heero ducked down from the solder's attack, spun around and slashed upward, rendering him in two. Remembering the initial soldier, Heero jumped through the now-severed-and-still-falling-apart soldier and stabbed both blades forward. The soldier, though able to deflect one, was unable to stop the other and soon enough, it fell.

_Tsssssrrrrrrr! Tsssssrrrrrrr! Tsssssrrrrrrr! Tsssssrrrrrrr!_

From the left, a slew of arrows soared toward Heero. The Celestial was unable to react in time as the arrows struck his armor, causing him to fall. Rolling on the ground (which hurt more), Heero grimaced. Though he had taken down the first squad, he was kept in one place long enough for the archers to hit him. And though the armor protected him from serious damage, the fatigue his body was in was reaching the critical point where even he couldn't deal with it. Seeing another squad of soldiers coming at him, he began to rise up only to have matters grow worse for him.

His armor shorted out and vanished...

Severely weakened, Heero ceased rising and fell down again. He tried to rise again, but his body simply would not obey him. The squad of soldiers soon came in on him and raised their weapons, ready to finish the job.

Only to be stopped by a loud roar, a blur of white, and the flash of claw and fang...

The soldiers were completely overwhelmed as Whiteblaze flew and tore at the soldiers, flooring them all in a matter of minutes. With the soldiers down, Whiteblaze turned his attention to the fallen Celestial, who was still trying to rise up from the ground. Whiteblaze began to lower down to help Heero up when his senses alerted him otherwise. Heero managed to look up after hearing the tiger growl and was also annoyed by what he saw.

They were surrounded...

-------------------------

_Shhrrrrrkkkkk!!!_

A Dynasty soldier fell apart into two halves from the poison blade of Sekmet; however the Warlord was having difficulty breathing. The battle had come quickly upon the team of Warlords and Starlight bearers. To their credit, both Mia and Relena were handling the soldiers quite well, although it seemed that Relena was beginning to hesitate a bit.

However, the four Seasonals were having a harder time facing their opponents and it was getting harder by the moment. True, with their extended experience, they were able to do a great deal of damage to the Dynasty mob, but still, a mob was a mob. And as such, combined with the fact that they were losing strength, they were being forced back.

For Kayura, this was more than true. Her previous fight against the three Warlords had weakened her greatly. So much so that when one of the soldiers struck her with a spear, she fell backward, crying in pain. And as she hit the ground, her armor splintered and vanished altogether, leaving her in a torn priestess garb.

"Kayura!"

Seeing Kayura fall, Mia quickly dispatched the soldier she was fighting and rushed straight to her. However, her advance was blocked off by more soldiers who had gotten in her way. Mia would be able to handle them easily, but the time lost in doing so was something she couldn't afford. Already the soldiers were progressing onto Kayura and the Warlords wouldn't be able to reach her in time. That only left....

_'Relena...'_

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than did the Relena move into action, racing through the soldiers at a much greater speed than Mia, grab hold of Kayura and pulling her away before the soldiers could gang up on her. Ultimately, Relena stopped in her dash to check on Kayura.

"Are you...all right?"

"Somewhat." Kayura answered with a pained whisper. Looking up at her savior, she smiled. "Thank you."

Relena nodded shakily. Since breaking away from Nanashi's control, she had been at a loss as to what was happening. Even more the fact that she was fighting; that she was capable of fighting this way. She wasn't trained to even move this way, yet she had been going through soldiers it rapid succession. Also, the soldiers she fought weren't flesh and blood, although that bit of knowledge seemed to make fighting easier. But everything else confused her.

_"I...believe in you."_

Those words... Heero's words were the only thing helping her get through all of this. For the longest while, she had always relied on him, on his strength and courage. But to hear that he was now relying on her...gave her an odd feel in her stomach, and not an unpleasant one. Overall, she wouldn't let him down. Even if she didn't understand what exactly was going on, even if she didn't know how she did or knew the things she did, if Heero really believed in her, the same as she believed in him, then she would fight.

Meanwhile, Mia had made her way over to the other three Warlords, who were looking worse for wear. To her knowledge, she never remembered seeing them battered and fatigued as they were now. It wouldn't be long before they were too weak to fight any longer. Retreat was the best option.

"Relena and I will cover you. You guys have to retreat from this place."

The three paused for a moment to look over at her. Mia blinked questioningly in the brief moment of silence, wondering if she had said something wrong. Then Kale returned his attention back to the incoming soldiers and replied.

"Your concern is appreciated. But we're not going anywhere."

"What?"

"This is the final battle of this fight." Dais added. "Do you honestly think we can just leave it behind?"

"Besides, retreating would be pointless. They will simply track us down and trample us." Sekmet lifted his swords in readiness. "And I have no intention of being trampled."

"But you can't... You could get killed."

"If we are to fall, then let it be as we are." Kale snapped back. "After all, as you well, know, we are the first line of defense against the Netherrealm. And until Nanashi is stopped, we will keep fighting."

At this, Mia became silent. Their armors and personalities might be different, but at the core, they were exactly the same as the Ronin Warriors. They refuse to give up and quit, they would rather fight to the bitter end. And Mia had seen enough of the Celestials to know that they were the same way as we''. With a light sigh, Mia joined them in battle formation, even as the enemy swarmed closer. One thing she didn't agree with though...

There won't be a bitter end. She would make sure of that...

-------------------

Struggling to stay conscious, Heero made another attempt to rise up from the ground. This time, he grabbed hold of Whiteblaze's fur and managed to pull himself up on one knee. The tiger stopped growling for a moment to give him a look of concern while Heero looked about. Sure enough, as he had seen earlier, they were completely surrounded by Dynasty soldiers.

Whiteblaze returned to growling at the soldiers as Heero took in the situation. In short, he was in trouble. No escape route, no offensive or defensive ability, enemies all around. In short, a hopeless situation. Regardless of this, Heero didn't mind. This was, after all, a possibility when he decided to engaged them on his own. He might be able to escape atop of Whiteblaze, but that was marginal too. The tiger would have to fight through the soldiers before he could escape and Heero would more than likely take further damage.

Perhaps even be killed...

Even as these thoughts went through his mind, one of the soldiers began aiming an arrow toward him. Given that he was behind Heero, the Celestial wouldn't see it coming. And even if he did, the surrounding soldiers were also arming their arrows as well, ready to fire. Heero wouldn't be able to dodge or defend against them. Even Whiteblaze wouldn't be able to get by unscathed. The arrows began to be drawn back when...

"Haaa!"

The soldiers were suddenly surprise when a group of colored blurs shot out from above and smashed into them. Turning about, Heero looked to see the faces of his fellow Celestials and Ronins. Even the ones that were unconscious previously were active now as they flew out of the trees to engage their foes. Their appearances were still that of their damaged sub-armor, but despite that, they attacked the soldiers without pause.

"Well, aren't you a fine mess, Heero."

Duo and Ryo landed beside him on both sides and soon the others began coming in as well from their attacks. Both warriors looked worse for wear and were sweating profusely, but their fighting stances didn't waver. Neither did Duo's grin.

"What are you doing here?" Heero scowled, although it didn't leave his voice that way.

"Saving you." Duo retorted, still grinning. "Don't worry. I won't expect a thank you from you this time."

"We couldn't just leave you behind." Ryo added. As the team came in, they grouped together in a circle, with the soldiers beginning to surround them once again. The team would not last long in a fight here, but here they were anyway, ready to fight. As the soldiers moved in, Ryo finished.

"If we fight, we fight together."

-------------------

Struggling in the Tallgeese's iron grip, Nanashi had yet to notice Noin's initial approach on his arm. But upon hearing his Dark Celestial firing his arrows at the intruder, he soon realized what the Tallgeese and its pilot was trying to do.

_**"Foolish! Did you really think you would catch me unawares?!**_

Energy flashed about Nanashi's body as he lunged in with his other hand and grabbed hold of the Tallgeese's side. It was now Zechs turn to fight against Nanashi's grip and before either he or Yuli knew it, Nanashi had bent off to the side and hurled the Tallgeese, with Noin being thrown off and sent sailing into the sky.

"Noin!"

The Tallgeese rose up quickly and began to move in the catch her when Nanashi's own heat-rod unfurled and slammed right into the Tallgeese's chest. Both occupants gave a cry of pain as the white mobile suit was knocked down to the ground, a gleaming red mark across its chest. Luckily, the armor held enough so that they weren't hit directly with the heat rod, but it was still extremely close. Nanashi stalked toward the fallen machine, his sword crackling with energy as he neared.

_**"Pathetic. Now you die."**_

Zechs grimaced as Nanashi lifted his arm and sword. No doubt an attack like that will render the Tallgeese in two. He was about to whirl about and get Yuli out of there when Nanashi stopped moving. Zechs could make out sounds of gunfire coming from below and looked to see a group of people shooting at Nanashi with guns and rifles from a cliff edge. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was the Preventors and leading the firing squad was none other than Dorothy Catalona herself

_'Figures.'_

Though the bullets did nothing to the Dynasty lord, he was annoyed by their intervention. _**"Worthless insects! Do you think you can stop me?!"**_

Nanashi's head turned toward them and Zechs quickly turned around toward Yuli, knowing that he had only a few seconds of distraction here. "Yuli, listen. When I saw go, I want you to jump out of the Tallgeese and head toward that group over there. Got it?!"

Yuli was considerably scared at the notion. Even though he was already strapped with a parachute on his back, jumping out of a giant machine was not exactly the most pleasant of ideas. But Zechs' glare and command gave him little to argue with and the boy managed to nod lightly. Returning his attention back to the scene, he gunned the controls forward.

_'Tallgeese...I need one more go...'_

The venier boosters flared to life once more and Nanashi turned back to see the white mobile suit barrel into him full speed and tackle him to the ground. Zechs and Yuli were violently rattled within the machine until it came to a stop on top of Nanashi. With a swift kick, Zechs opened the cockpit and turn to Yuli again.

"Count to three and then jump."

With that, Zechs soon plummeted out of the Tallgeese and toward Nanashi's fallen form. His armor shimmered into form immediately, although Zechs could feel a drain in its power. Seeing the cockpit below him, he pulled his saber out, aiming for the edges of the door when an arrow flew out of nowhere and knocked the saber out of his hand. As Zechs landed, he looked over at his attacker.

"Trieze."

Trieze, or rather Cyclone, rushed across Nanashi's body toward Zechs, firing arrow after arrow upon him. Zechs dodged the fire as best as he could. He had hoped that Tallgeese's sudden shove would have pushed him off of Nanashi. But it seems that Cyclone had held on and continued to protect his master. Zech tried to make a move to retrieve his saber, but Cyclone's shots were preventing him from doing so. And to make things worse, Zechs could feel Nanashi reviving beneath his feet. He just hoped Yuli got out of there.

Meanwhile, the said boy had just finished counting and was preparing to jump. His hand was on the parachute strap just so he wouldn't forget when the Jewel of Life began to shimmer from his chest. The artifact began to spin a glow around his next, illuminating so brightly that it gained the attention of both Zechs and Cyclone...

...as well as Nanashi...

Eyes blazing in response to the light of the Jewel, Nanashi began to shove the now prone Tallgeese off of his body. As he did this, his body began to rise and thus, causing Zechs and Cyclone to slip down. Yuli, rattled by the push was thrown out of the Tallgeese and into open air. Zechs saw this and prepared to jump in, but saw that Yuli was no longer falling. The boy's body was encased in a bubble of light and he started floating toward Nanashi's chest. However, Cyclone saw this as well and hopped off his rising master and onto the Tallgeese. Jumping off from there, Cyclone soared high into the air just behind Yuli, with an arrow trained on the boy.

"No!"

Moving fast than he thought possible, Zechs bounded upward upon Nanashi's still-rising body and then took to the air, soaring straight for Cyclone. Cyclone was still aiming his arrow as Zechs flew toward him. Their bodies collided, but Cyclone had already let out the shot. The arrow whizzed toward Yuli and Zechs turned his head, even as he and Cyclone began to plummet down to the earth. But then what he saw surprised him. The arrow flew right past Yuli...

...and struck Nanashi's cockpit...

"With that, I take my leave of the stage."

The arrow exploded, causing Nanashi to roar in pain as the cockpit door flew open in a gust of smoke. As Yuli hovered closer, a faint light broke through the smoke and into the outside. Yuli stretched out his hand into the light and thus into the cockpit. It was for a brief moment and soon, his hand began coming back out.

With another hand in his grasp...


	80. Chapter 79

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

-

Chap. 88

-

'_Mariemaia!'_

In the tree land below, Lady Une had managed to reach the area were the Tallgeese and Nanashi had fallen after the Tallgeese's desperate final lunge. Seeing their plan to retrieve Mariemaia turning badly, she decided to stay close in case there was something she could do in case they were unable to. By the time she had arrived however, she saw Nanashi rising from the ground and beginning to claw at his chest. Her eyes widened as her vision focused on what he was reaching for.

Emerging from his chest/cockpit and hovering away was Yuli. The Jewel of Life was glowing and keeping him in a bubble of energy. But even more importantly, he was holding an unconscious Mariemaia in his grasp. And like Yuli, the Jewel of Light was glowing around her neck. But while they were hovering in the air together, Nanashi's clawed hand was reaching up to them.

But before he could touch them, the bubble of energy around the two suddenly flashed, knocking back Nanashi's hand and almost causing the Dynasty lord to fall back once again. However, the bubble encasing them was gone and now both youths began to plummet down to the earth.

"No!"

Une was in motion long before she realized it, her eyes on the falling pair while she sped through the forest, amazingly without tripping over anything. Veering closer, her mind began to focus on the Staff in her hands and she lifted it up into the air toward the two.

_'Please work...'_

Due to her run, the rings of the Staff rattled randomly. However, as her soon as her thoughts began to focus on the two in the air, they began to cling united. The ancient weapon soon began glowing, a sphere of energy forming at its headpiece. Rushing out into a clearing, she continued to focus the energy of the Staff on the two descending children. The glow of the Staff soon reached up to the falling pair and they...simply stopped falling.

With a relaxed gesture, Une lowered the children slowly to the ground. Mariemaia's eyes were closed and her body still. Une immediately checked for vital signs. Though they were a bit weak, Mariemaia was still fine, at least physically.

"Is she okay?

Une looked up at the boy, almost forgetting that he was there. A bit of shame crept into Une as she realized that she was more concerned for Mariemaia that Yuli. But the boy didn't notice, either that or he did and he simply didn't mind. And he was concerned for her well-being as well.

"I think so. How about you Yuli?"

"I...I'm not really sure." he answered. "I was scared, but...then I wasn't."

Une's eyes lowered down to the still glowing jewel on his neck. "The Jewel of Life was protecting you, just as the Jewel of Light protected Mariemaia. Maybe..."

_**"INFIDELS!"**_

Both looked up in horror at the roar of Nanashi, who had not only fully revived, but was glaring down at the pair. His black sword crackled with violent energy as he lifted in high over his head, with both his hands in grasp of it. His emerald eyes burned with hatred as they trained solely of Lady Une.

_**"Your kind has interfered with me for the last time!""**_

The energy on the sword intensified, so much so that the solid blade was no longer visible and instead, there was a long blade of energy that extended high into the sky. Fear flashed across their faces as the sword was posed to obliterate them.

"Unite the Jewels. It's the only way."

Une blinked at the sound of the new voice and looked down to see to see a man clothed in monk robes and a wide straw hat. The same man she had seen when she clashed with Nanashi earlier. However, as soon as she saw him, he disappeared from view. Her attention returned back to the present, while her mind took in the words. Quickly, her hands grabbed hold of both the Jewels around the children's necks just as the sword came bearing down. Her hands were a blur as she connected the two gems together; an act that hadn't been done for over ten thousand years.

_CRRRRINNNGGGGGG!_

A bright light engulfed Une and the children, knocking back the energy sword and dispersing it into its solid form, but not before pushing Nanashi back as well. The light grew further and soon a pillar of light shone up into the sky and scattered back down to the earth as beams of light.

Eighteen particular beams of light...

---------------------------------

A distance away, the group of Ronins and Celestials awaited the attack of the Dynasty soldiers surrounding them. They knew that this would truly be their last stand, but they had made their choice to continue fighting. Even so, with the sheer number of forces around them, it may be a very brief fight. Nothing short of a miracle would change that.

And then, that miracle came...

The advance of the soldiers was stopped when beams of light fell out of the sky and bathed each of the Ronin and Celestial warriors in streams of energy. Each of them looked at each other and themselves in surprise as they felt their wounds heal and their strength return. When the light faded away, the warriors stood as they were before, fully rejuvenated by the light shower.

"What...just happened...?" Kento blinked, looking at his hands.

"Our powers seem to have returned." Trowa noted in a quiet voice.

Hilde found herself grinning feral as she looked up at the soldiers around them. "I guess you guys know what happens now."

The soldiers seemed to back away from the renewed group as they faced their assailants once again. This time though, the tables have been turned. Their sub-armors shone as each of them turned their thoughts to their armor. So it was perhaps to their surprise to hear both Ryo and Heero cry out in unison.

"TO ARMS!"

---------------------------------

"Yaaaah!"

With a spinning motion, Mia took down a sliced down three enemy soldiers and reduced them to dust. So far, she and Relena had been fighting the soldiers in quick rushes, dashing into the fray and hacking away at them in order to reduce their numbers and then jumping out before they could be surrounded.

The Warlords, who were reduced to their sub-armors, continued to fight, all the while staying close to their unconscious leader. Relena made things easier for them as she fought in close proximity to them, but even so, they were being run ragged and the Dynasty minions continued to press in around them. Even with the two Starlight-sword wielders, without their armors and powers, they wouldn't be able to go on much longer.

And then light fell from the sky...

Both Relena and Mia gasped in surprise as four beams of light fell down from above and hit each of the Seasonals. Everything seemed to stop as the Warlords regained both their powers and their strength. Looking at each other, the trio immediately realized what had happened. Turning to Kayura, they looked to see her on her feet once again, as though she was never hurt to begin with.

"Kayura!" Mia exclaimed. "You're..."

The priestess nodded with a smile. "Yes. I'm fine." She then turned to look at the skies above the forest, seeing Nanashi in the distance.

"The Ronins and the Celestials will need our help now."

"Yes. But first..." Kale's eyes turned toward the paused soldiers and his glare deepened "Let's finish with this."

"Of course. They have much to answer for." Kayura agreed with a smile. "Warlords! To arms, once more!"

---------------------------------

The black void began to clear as eyes opened up to the world. It had been some time since exposed to the light so the eyes opened slowly. Vision blurry, the said eyes began to blink in order to clear them. It wasn't much, but enough to see a familiar face.

"Miss...Une...?"

"Mariemaia!"

Une immediately smiled at the reviving girl. Just before this, her attention was on the pillar of light that had emerged from the combining of the two Jewels. But seeing Mariemaia awaken brought her attention away from it (that and the fact that the pillar had dissipated anyway) and brought relief to her face.

And something else...

"Are you...crying...?"

Une blinked and brought her hand up to her face to discover that there were in fact a few droplets of tears running down her cheek. Smiling again, she simply nodded and helped the girl sit upright, holding her close as she did. She knew her attention should be on the danger around them, but at the moment, she didn't care.

But moments, like always, passed...

_**"Hahaha!"**_

Looking up, the trio gazed at the now revived form of Nanashi standing over them. But despite his terrifying visage, he hadn't advanced on them (yet) and merely chuckled at the three.

_**"To think that you would actually do the job for me..."**_ he continued to laugh."_**I must thank you. While you may have taken the girl, you have given me what I truly desired. And once I have my Jewel, my power will be limitless."**_

"I won't let that happen, Nanashi."

Moving Mariemaia gently to the side with Yuli, Une stood up in front of them and held the Staff before her in clear defiance. Upon seeing this, Nanashi stopped chuckling and bellowed aloud, clearly amused by her display.

"Do you honestly think you can stop me? Your power, while unexpected, pales in comparison to mine. You can not hope to fight me alone."

"She's not alone!"

From out of the trees emerged the Celestial and Ronin Warriors. The team leapt out in dramatic fashion and landed around Une and the two children. Nanashi ceased in his laughter, but still sounded amused when he addressed the warriors.

"Celestial Warriors. Ronin Warriors. I would have thought you all dead by now."

"No chance, Nanashi." Sage retorted.

Kento cracked his knuckles as he added. "Besides, we still have to kick your butt after all."

_**"Bold words, but even with your powers combined, it is still no match for mine."**_ Nanashi raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, causing it to crackle with dark energy. _**"As long as human fear feeds the power of darkness, my power can not be stopped."**_

"That's where you're wrong Nanashi." This came from Trowa, which surprised a few of them since Trowa made it a point of not speaking much. "If fear is the source of your strength, then you have already lost."

The amusement vanished and was replaced with anger. _**"What foolishness is this you speak?"**_

Hilde was the one to answer him. "Faith, hope, and love... As long as mankind possesses these traits, fear can be overcome."

"And since these are the source of our strength, you are out of luck Nanashi." Ryo finished.

_**"Is that so?"**_ Nanashi's wings slowly spread out wide and his body began to lift up into the blackened sky. _** "Then I invite you to put that to the test."**_

The team watched as Nanashi rose higher up into the sky. Ryo turned to Heero and Heero looked at him in return.

"Are we really ready for this?"

"Hn." he nodded.

A flare of light caught everyone attention and they turned to see Whiteblaze stalk toward them, in his Blackblaze persona. The armored tiger continued on and soon stopped between Ryo and Heero, nudging them lightly.

"What about the others?"

"We're here."

Kayura and her group came out of the woods from the right Ryo smile upon seeing Mia and the gesture was returned. Relena smiled at Heero as well and while Heero didn't actually return it, his expression did lighten at her presence.

"What about Zechs and Noin?" Yuli asked.

"Don't worry." Quatre answered. "They're fine."

Relena and Yuli blinked, for different reason. Relena wasn't aware that her brother was involved in any of this, though it wasn't too much of a surprise. Yuli on the other hand was worried about the pair considering the last time he saw them, they were in battle against Nanashi and disappeared during the battle.

"How do you know?"

"I can sense them. And..." For a moment, Quatre's gaze fell upon Mariemaia knowingly, but he remained silent.

"Quatre, Hilde, it's up to you guys now." Kayura spoke.

Hilde nodded along with Quatre. "Right."

Both Celestials closed their eyes and concentrated on their armor traits. Ai -Love- and Kitai -Hope- blazed steadily upon their foreheads and their armors glowed brightly to the point were the light wisp of an aura could be seen around them. And while they focused, their efforts were sensed by the third chosen Celestial...

------------------

A distance away, Noin sensed the energies of her two comrades. Her own symbol of Seii -Faith- flashed back and forth on her forehead and she knew what she had to do. Looking over at the two companions with her, she began to focus her power...

--------------

The three Celestial continued their focus and soon enough, a beam of energy shot up from each of them and into the sky, colliding together and forming a sphere of light in the air. Hilde and Quatre opened their eyes and nodded to the others.

"Now!"

The remaining Celestials as well as the Ronins and Warlords (minus Heero and Ryo) crossed their arms and sent their powers up into the sky, joining with the sphere of energy that was already waiting. The sphere pulsed with the energy of the sent, but did nothing else. But it was then that the unified Jewel began to activate again and it sent up a beam of energy of it own directly into the sphere.

The sphere exploded into a pillar of light that engulfed both Ryo and Heero (and Whiteblaze) to the point where they literally disappeared within it. Heat surged out in waves and the light was so intense that everyone else had to back away and shield their eyes. The pillar continued to intensify until it erupted, knocking everyone close to it off their feet. It took awhile for their eyes to clear, but upon doing so, they were all greeted by a wondrous sight.

Ryo in the Armor of Inferno...

Heero in the Armor of Nova...


	81. Chapter 80

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

-

Chap. 89

-

The team stared in awe at the two white-armored clad warriors in their midst. Both were glowing in an aura of ethereal light, as if they were sent down from heaven itself to fight. Though the light and glow didn't dim, the others began to venture back toward the two, still amazed at seeing the two armors together.

"Different..."

"Ryo?"

Ryo lifted his arms to look at the arm plates of the armor. "The armor... It feels different. I don't know..."

"Pure." Heero finished

Indeed, that was the feeling Ryo was getting from the Inferno. In times past whenever he called upon the armor, he felt the flood of power, but there always seemed to be a violent intent behind it, a desire and lust for battle. But now, that intent was absent, gone. There was only calmness and clarity, as one would feel when taking a walk on a warm sunny day.

"Yeah. Pure."

Looking over at Heero briefly, he found Heero looking up at him as well. He too had been examining his armor just like Ryo had. The two soon returned their attentions back to the armors and began flex their arms about and clenching their fist, almost in synch with each other.

Hilde smiled at the two. "Well, whatever it is, you guys look great."

"Yeah!" Yuli agreed enthusiastically.

With a low growl, Blackblaze strode out from between them and turned around, lifting his shoulders slightly to present the Soulswords of Fervor. Ryo gave a thoughtful look at the black tiger before gripping one of the swords. Looking over at Heero, he saw the Celestial look back at him again before Heero grabbed hold of the second sword. Together, the duo pulled out the swords and they flashed with the same light and energy as the two warriors. Furthermore, there seemed to be swirl of energy that passed continuously between the two and outward, deepening the aura that was around them.

Kayura noted the display of energy between them. "Your powers are united. Now all that's left is to deal with Nanashi."

"Right." Wufei added. "It's all up to you two now."

"We'll be counting on you guys." Cye finished.

The two looked up at the others gathered around them, all with mixed expressions on their faces; all positive ones. And they sensed it from them as well. Their hope that they would finally stop this madness, their faith in their ability to defeat Nanashi and most of all, particularly from the eyes of the two women who held the Starlight Swords...

Love...

The gazes on them was brief however, as the blackened skies erupted with lightning and crackled with thunder. Looking through the treetops, their gazes turned the dark citadel in the distance and spotted the dark figure perched on top of it. The lightning flashed around him violently as he awaited his adversaries.

"Nanashi." Rowen sneered.

"It's time." Kale spoke, turning to the two. "Now go and ends this."

"We'll be waiting for you guys." Yuli smiled.

With a simultaneous nod, the two warriors turned away from the group and toward the direction of the citadel. Nanashi's dark power could still be felt, washing off the dark lord in waves. Yet it didn't frighten them or even give them a thought to waver. More than their usual courage and bravery, the armors seemed to be allowing them a sense of peace, even in the face of what would soon become a devastating battle.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Ryo half-blinked, expecting Heero to give his usual 'mission accepted' line. With a light smile, he drew upon the Inferno's power, just as Heero was drawing upon Nova's. Sphere of energy formed around them and they ascended into the sky. It was slow at first, but soon their speed began to pick up rapidly and in moment, they rocketing through the black skies.

Next stop, the Dark Citadel...

-----------

Wings outspread; Nanashi awaited the arrival of his soon to be vanquished opponents. Judging from the light he had seen earlier, he knew they had summoned either the Inferno or the Nova armor. Though a bit surprised that he saw two objects coming at him, he wasn't afraid. Why should he be? True, he had lost control of the Celestials and Lady Shiva was gone as well. And to top that off, he had yet to retrieve the complete Jewel from the two brats.

But all of that were minor setbacks. He still possessed Epyon's gundamium body. And his power was still growing from the fear of those he captured. Even now, his influence is spreading and his power growing. Every second makes him stronger. No matter what the Celestials or Ronins could muster, his power was already rising beyond them. And far as he was concerned, the two heading toward him now, were walking right into his trap.

_**"So these are the armors of Nova and Inferno. Impressive."**_

"Well, get a good look, because this will be the last time you see them." Ryo remarked.

_**"Indeed. Once I have eliminated the two of you, the rest will fall like dominoes."**_

"That's where you're wrong." Heero cut in. "Your reign of terror ends, here and now."

_**"On the contrary, it has only just begun. And it will begin...atop your crushed bodies!"**_

In a flash, Nanashi rear his sword arm back and slashed down upon the two. The result was the roof of the citadel where the blade struck being torn to pieces. Debris and smoke flew up everywhere from the attack and Nanashi looked down to see the two warriors had rushed on both sides of him in order to avoid his strike; Ryo to his left and Heero to the right.

_**"Like scattered rats...!"**_

Before he could finish that comment however, Ryo leapt up onto his arm and rushed up toward his shoulder. Nanashi began to pull his arm back, but as he did Ryo took to the air and raised his sword high. A flare of energy shot up out of the blade, extending it and Ryo brought it down.

_**"Flare Up Now!"**_

Upon descent, the blade of fire spread out in a torrent wave of white fire, causing the entire top of the citadel to explode in pure light. The light gradually faded away and Ryo landed back on the roof, only to see Nanashi towering over him, a black field shrouding him from the attack.

_**"Is that all you have for me, Ronin?"**_

Ryo gave no answer and Nanashi soon realized why. Turning around, he soon saw Heero dashing rapidly toward him, his own sword aglow with energy and extended in a white crystalline blade.

_**"Mirrored Edge!"**_

Heero jumped toward Nanashi, heading straight for his legs. Seeing this, Nanashi shot up into the air, allowing the energized blade to right past under him. His wings shot open wide once again as he hovered above his two opponents.

_**"Your powers are as impressive as your armor, but they are meaningless in comparison to mine. Even now, my power continues to grow. This world will feed me power beyond imagination."**_ Nanashi lifted his sword upright and lightning crackled from the sky around it.

_**"Allow me to demonstrate."**_

The massive sword began to shimmer with dark energy and extend into the sky, just like the attacks of the two he fought with, only his energy blade shot up high into the sky, parting the clouds it passed through and edging right out of the atmosphere and into space itself.

_**"RHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"**_

The eyes of both Heero and Ryo widened as they saw this, with Nanashi crackling madly as he bore down the now-energy pillar down upon them. The pillar sword completed engulfed the top of the citadel, tearing it apart and vaporizing everything within. And then moment later...

**KRRRRAAABOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!**

The entire top of the citadel exploded like a volcano that had just erupted. The clouds parted further from the aftershock and a sphere of black energy spiraled around the affected area, pulsating from the intense power of a single attack. The black sphere shrank inward and soon disappeared. The entire top half of the citadel had been completely destroyed; vanished without a single trace.

Looking at his handiwork, Nanashi continued to chuckle. Even though it was his own citadel that was partially vaporized, it was of little concern to him. It would renew itself with time anyway. And even if it didn't, the display of power he unleashed pleased him too much to care. His eyes roved over the destruction to see if there was anything left of his would-be-opponents. If they weren't vaporized along with the attack, they would surely be injured. But there was no trace or evidence of them left.

As they were soaring through the air toward him...

Outrunning the explosion, the two white-armor bearers had taken to the skies once again. Trailing through the skies with a Soulsword at their side, they blazed straight toward the Dynasty lord. Nanashi's eyes lifted to see their approach and he quickly reared his sword arm back and slashed out in a wide arc, unleashing a black wave of energy outward as he did. Ryo soared upward to avoid it, but Heero continued straight on, the Soulsword in his grasp blazing with power once again.

"HAAAAAAAA!!!!"

With a loud war-cry, Heero slashed at the incoming wave, cutting right though it in a burst of blue flame. Meanwhile, Ryo continued on his course toward Nanashi and his Soulsword ignited with a flaming burst. Sensing it, Nanashi wheeled about, bringing his blade with him and meeting with the burning Soulsword, creating a violent explosion in the air

_**CCKKKRRRRRSSSSSHHHHH!!!!!!!**_

-------------------------

From their position on the ground, the rest of the team watched the battle atop what was remaining of Nanashi's citadel. Their attacks flashed brighter than the lightning in the sky and the sounds of clashing blade rang louder than the pounding thunder of the storm. The group continued to watch as the three continued to fight, rising up higher into the sky until they disappeared into the clouds altogether. But their absent view didn't diminish the fury of their fight.

"Boy, they're really going at it up there." Sage whistled.

"No kidding." Hilde added. "I just hope they're doing okay."

Yuli frowned. "Don't worry. Ryo and Heero are going to take down that Dynasty creep."

"I hope you're right, Yuli." Kayura whispered to the sky.

-------------------------

The battle began to ascend higher and higher into the sky. Heero and Ryo launched repeated attacks against Nanashi, but it appeared to be to no avail. Nanashi's power repelled each of their attack and returned with equal force. The three battlers soon paused in their fight, with the black clouds below them becoming their new battlefield.

_**"You two continue to impress. To think you would last this long against me... Crushing you both is going to be sheer delight."**_

Neither warrior responded to his taunt and split off into separate directions, dashing along the top of the cloud line as the circled toward Nanashi. The emerald eyes of the Dynasty lord blazed as his sword shimmered with dark energy once again. Focusing on Heero, he lifted his sword and slashed forward, sending out a wave of energy toward the Inferno bearer, parting the clouds as it soared on.

_**"Don't think I forgot about you, Ronin!"**_

The heat rod on Nanashi's left arm burned brightly and he flicked his arm to lash the weapon at the approaching Ryo. Ryo lifted his sword up in defense, but the heat rod slammed into Ryo hard enough to push him back and submerge him into the clouds. Meanwhile, the soaring energy wave was slashed in half by Heero, but not without some serious effort on the part of the bearer of the Nova armor.

"Ghhhh!"

By the time Heero broke through the wave however, Nanashi had swung the heat rod toward his direction. Like Ryo, Heero was able to defend against and like Ryo, he was knocked backward. Seeing the Celestial open, Nanashi rushed forward and stabbed forward on Heero with his sword.

_Crrsshhh!_

Nanashi snarled in surprise as he found his sword had been stopped, with Heero holding it back with his own. _'But how?'_ After all, Heero had been knocked back by the heat rod, so how could he have stopped his saber? The answer was the second sword that was holding it back as well. Crossed with Heero's sword was Ryo's. The Ronin had emerged from the clouds beneath them and caught the descending sword at the same time as Heero.

_**"What?!"**_

"Hyohh!"

With a combined cry, both Celestial and Ronin forced back the gigantic sword, forcing Nanashi back as well. Nanashi skidded back across the cloud and his surprise grew when he saw wisps of flame on his sword; an aftereffect from the Soulswords. Emerald eyes narrowed venomously as Nanashi looked back at Ryo and Heero.

They were becoming a real nuisance to the Dynasty lord. They were fighting on longer than he had expected them to and are matching him blow for blow, power for power. They weren't supposed to be this strong. And yet here they were, steadily become a real opposition to his power. Nanashi lifted his eyes up to the skies and beneath the gundamium armor, he smiled.

And ascended...

Ryo and Heero watched Nanashi fly straight up, an orange haze forming around him as he picked up speed. Though Ryo question what he was doing, Heero knew immediately. Nanashi was heading straight out to space...where the Black Comet soared and where it would most likely be at its strongest. Ryo realized this as well and gripped his sword tighter. Heero did the same with his sword and without a word to each other, the two of them shot up after Nanashi and into the final battlefield.

Outer space...


	82. Chapter 81

Disclaimer: See initial chapter

-

Chap. 90

-

Formerly a resource satellite, MO-II now hovers in order of the Earth as a memorial for those who fought and sacrificed their lives during the Eve Wars, whose lives helped bring about true peace on the earth. But now, as a black figure approaches it on the far side, it seemed that this place was destined to live out yet another battle.

Circling around the massive asteroid, Nanashi stood on top of the structure and looked back in the direction he had came from. Before his vision was the whole of the Earth. A world unlike any other, rich and full of life and energy... So much so that many from the Nether realm wanted its power for themselves, the latest being one of his own offspring, Talpa. But now as he looked, he could see the black clouds slowly consuming the planet. Soon, he will have done what no one else has done.

_Earth, this mortal realm, will be his!_

His eyes glowed in annoyance as he saw a patch of the dark clouds parted, giving way to the two shining figures rushing up to meet him in battle. The only things that stood in his path to complete and total domination of the mortal realm...

But not for long...

The sword in Nanashi's grasp sparked to life as the two came near and rather than wait, Nanashi rushed at the two. Given the size difference between him and his opponents, the sight of the gigantic warlord bearing down with an equally massive sword would be terrifying. But Ryo (Inferno) and Heero (Nova) continued on, showing no fear of the Dynasty master as their swords blazed with energy in response and met with the dark energy sword of Nanashi.

_Shhrriiiiikkkkkkkk!_

The backlash from the resulting clash was forceful, propelling all three combatants away from each other. Ryo was the first to move again, soaring in close to Nanashi and rearing his sword back for an attack. Nanashi saw this and spun around backward at a speed that belittled his enormous size, dodging Inferno's attack and bringing his sword in for attack all at the same time. Inferno was barely able to block it by lifting his sword up and the resulting attack hurled him away.

However as Inferno was flying back, Nova came in from behind and lunged at Nanashi, stabbing at his exposed arm. Nanashi's head snapped up at this and pulled his arm back before the Celestial could stab in. His heat rod extended soon after and with a flick, lashed it out at Nova. Nova lifted his sword in defense, but the scorching weapon didn't hit him. Rather, it coiled itself around his body, holding him tight. Although the heat itself didn't harm Nova, he was unable to escape from its grip and seeing this, Nanashi swung it and Nova down to the satellite, smashing the Celestial's body on the rocky surface.

Bringing the rod back, Nanashi made ready to dive in and finish him off when a glow of energy shone behind him. Wheeling about, he saw Inferno coming at him again, his sword ablaze with white fire in his upraised sword. Nanashi fueled his dark power into his own sword and with a roar; he clashed against Inferno's power. A struggle of power emerged between the two and it quickly became evident that Nanashi's power was overwhelming Inferno's.

_**"You were a fool to fight me in the presence of the Black Comet! Now you will pay for your insolence!"**_

With an extra surge of power, Nanashi pushed Ryo around, holding him for a bit before hurling him down toward the side of MO-II. Ryo hit the side and tumbled about a bit before using his sword to stab into the side to prevent him from falling back to Earth. Inferno grimaced at his situation, but Nanashi didn't want to give him a chance and dove in after him, his sword trailing alongside the satellite and tearing rock as he neared.

However, Nova was also approaching, running parallel to Nanashi along the satellite. And when Nanashi attacked Inferno, Nova swooped in and lashed out. The blades and energy met in a flash of light that resulted in Nova being knocked upward against the rocky surface. But he had managed to deflect Nanashi's attack on Inferno, causing the dark sword to strike down just a few feet away from the white-armored Ronin

"Rah!"

Seeing an opening, Inferno pushed himself off the rock surface and lunged at Nanashi. With the Dynasty lord in such close range, there was no way Inferno could miss and true to form, the flaring Soulsword razed across Nanashi's lower body full force.

And didn't leave a scratch...

_**"Ahahahahaha! Did you could harm me with your puny powers?"**_ His clawed hand tapped his chest. _**"Or perhaps you have forgotten the gundamium that armors my very being?"**_

Again, there was no response; merely a silent stare from the Ronin. This only infuriated the Dynasty lord further. It was annoying enough that he couldn't sense any fear or doubt from either Inferno or Nova, but they hadn't spoken a word since the start of their fighting. Battle-cries aside, they fought Nanashi in silence, giving him no chance to goad them or break them down mentally. Plus they didn't respond when he taunted them, frustrating him even more.

_**"Keep your words then!"**_ His black sword burned with dark energy again. _**"And perish in your silence!"**_

Wings spread open wide as Nanashi charged at Inferno, soaring up toward him. But once again, Nova made his presence known by rushing directly at Nanashi. While still on course toward Inferno, Nanashi whirled about just as Nova closed in. With no resistance in space, his sword picked up a great deal of momentum that managed to slap away Nova in a flash and throw him back toward MO-II. Still using the momentum, Nanashi continued to spin, his sword spiraling onward toward Inferno and slashing into him as well. Inferno was carried by the force a bit and was also hurled in the satellite next to Nova.

With both his enemies floored, Nanashi rushed in for the kill. The energy of his sword began to extend once again, creating the same energy blade he had used before. And as before, the energy emitted into an impossible length. Raising it over his head, he descended speedily upon the two warriors, ready to completely annihilate them along with MO-II.

_**"IT'S OVER!!!!"**_

_**SSSHHHHHHAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!**_

Swinging down, Nanashi unleashed his attack on the two and ended up creating a monolithic explosion that engulfed the entire resource satellite as well as Nanashi. But as soon as it came, it shrank away. Needless to say, the Dynasty lord was far from pleased.

_**"WHAT?!"**_

Nanashi bellowed a roar of both rage and disbelief at what had just happened. A few seconds ago, he had unleashed his most devastating attack upon the two fallen warriors; an attack that should have destroyed both of them along with the entire resource satellite. It should have been the final climatic finish to the last of his opposition.

_But instead..._

Instead he finds that both Inferno and Nova had blocked his attack by crossing their swords together. This act not only stopped the attack, but it completely neutralized the tremendous power he had summoned, preserving the satellite and leaving it completely untouched.

_**"Impossible! How could you have...?"**_

He didn't get a chance to finish as the two made their move. Separating from their defense, Inferno moved first, leaping up and reversing his sword. Lifting in up over his head, Inferno stabbed down on Nanashi's sword and struck it through. Nanashi began to pull away, but the Soulsword was impaled straight through to the rocky surface. Meanwhile Nova was on the move, rushing under the sword for a while until he noticed Nanashi try to pull away from Inferno. Leaping up and raising his sword above his head, he struck down on Nanashi's blade full force.

_KKKSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!_

Nanashi faltered back backward as he witnessed what just happened. With Inferno holding his sword in place, Nova's attack shattered the black blade completely. Shards of the blade floated about in space like black diamonds and Nanashi looked down at his fragmented weapon in shock. Enraged, Nanashi reared his left arm back to attack with the heat rod. But as the burning weapon whipped out, Nova shot forward through the vacuum toward Nanashi. At the same time, Inferno leapt of MO-II and also rushed at Nanashi. Mixed between targets, Nanashi twisted his heat rod about, only to miss them as they came closer. The Soulswords flashed with energy once again and both Inferno and Nova struck.

_FFLLLLLLLSSSSHHHHHH!!!!_

Nanashi let out another roar, but this time, it was out of pain. Faltering back in space, he looked down and saw two glowing marks slash on his chest in an X. His emerald eyes burned. How could they have done this? They shouldn't have been able to. The Black Comet had his power at its peak, plus the additional power of his captives and the strength of his gundamium armor. When Inferno attacked before, it didn't leave as much as a mark.

_This should not have happened...!_

_**"I will not let this happen!"**_

Discarding his shattered weapon, Nanashi lifted away from MO-II and higher up into space. Nova and Inferno watched him ascend, with wisps of black energy flowing out of him and almost making him invisible in the void. His ascent soon stopped in the light of the moon, with the dark energy flowing around him so intensely that the moonlight was almost eclipsed.

_**"Let's see your power fare against this!"**_

His arms spread out wide and the dark wisps thickened almost into literally tendrils, blotting out the moon completely. However, they did nothing else and simply wavered around the dark master. Before any question could be thought of as to what Nanashi was doing, both Inferno and Nova sensed it. The dark energy seemed to be growing exponentially. But it wasn't coming from Nanashi. Upon turn their heads, they soon saw it.

_**"Behold! The Black Comet!"**_

Indeed, coming at them was the Black Comet. It was at least at massive as MO-II itself, with no evidence of a solid core. Dark energy radiated off of it the same manner as it did off of Nanashi. It was nothing but a maelstrom of pure darkness spiraling right at them. It didn't take much to figure out what had happened. Nanashi was actually able to control the comet itself, pulling in all it power close.

With a triumphant laugh, Nanashi moved away and toward the front of the comet itself. Once there, he gave only a gesture and the massive ball stopped, although it still spiraled about. Nanashi spread his arms out once again, his clawed hands open and beginning to pull in energy from the sphere behind him. As he did, sound of metal bending were heard and Nanashi's form seemed to bulk up. The energy in his hands grew they seemed almost solid. Had he a mouth, the two warriors would have seen a sinister grin on it.

_**"My body is now one with the Black Comet, and with it all its glorious power!"**_

His arms lifted higher, taking in more power from the malevolent force behind him. His hands soon clasped together, combining the energy he had gathered and causing it to pulsate and flash about like black lightning. The emerald eyes splintered and shattered, giving way to the Dynasty Lord's true blood-red eyes.

_**"Fear and terror incarnate! The power of the Black Comet plus the fear and terror of those of your realm that I have enslaved. You can not hope to win!"**_

_"That's where you're wrong."_

-----------------------------0

On the earth below, the group awaited the conclusion of the great battle that was taking place. Due to the thick cloud cover, they were unable to see the actual battle, aside from the great flash of light that broke through when Nanashi unleashed his attack earlier. But the energies that were given off as a result of the fighting were more than noticeable, especially for the armored warriors.

"I've never felt power like this before." Cye muttered shakily. "It's...overwhelming."

"And it's not just Nanashi either." Hilde added. "Heero and Ryo too."

"The ultimate battle of darkness and light..."

Looking down from the sky for a moment, the team saw Dorothy and the remaining Preventors come out of the tree land and approach them. Stopping, she turned to look up at the darkened sky and finished.

"...fought in the battlefield of the stars."

Taking in her words ruefully, the group returned their attention back to the blackened sky. Une delayed in her gaze and it was just enough for her to catch sight of something else. Seemingly unknown to them, the traits of the Ronins, Celestials and Warlords were all glowing upon their foreheads. And judging from the looks in their eyes, they seemed to be at least partial, in a trance. Une finally looked back up fully, taking in the forces she felt coming from above.

_'Darkness and light...'_

---------------------------------0

If Nanashi was capable of blinking, he would have. Both Inferno and Nova had answered him at the same exact time. Unshaken by the sight of what could very likely be their destruction, the Ronin and Celestial stood upon the lone meteoroid before him, standing their ground. They continued speaking, their voices now in synch with each other as they answered together...

_"Your evil ends, here and now."_

At this, the Soulswords of Fervor began to glow once again. As with their masters, they shone in unison, aflare with white fire that calmly flowed around the blades. The fiery energy slowly sprawled around the sword and then around the bearers themselves, giving them a steady glow. Finding the sight of their continued defiance ridiculous, Nanashi laughed once more.

You are brave, I'll give you that! But then again, the brave are always the first to die!" The humor in his voice soon vanished and was replaced with rage.

**"NOW DIE!!!!!!!!!"**

His arms swung down forcefully and the energy gathered was unleashed a pitch-black wave of sheer force. It was like a miniature Black Comet as it spiraled its way toward the two warriors. Shadowed by the oncoming wave, Inferno and Nova quickly lifted their swords upward, crossing them together. As soon as that happened, an intense light shone out from the crossed blades so bright, that there wasn't even a shadow to be seen around them. The wave of black energy closed in on the light, ready to plow through and annihilate everything in its path when...

...it stopped.

The light it seemed was preventing the dark force from continuing on, acting as a barrier between and the white-armored warriors. However, Nanashi wasn't dissuaded by this and began to pour forth even more energy and power into it, drawing power from the Black Comet in waves. The beam of darkness grew and the light from the opposing pair began to diminish. From the opposite side, Nova and Inferno began to show strain under the onslaught of Nanashi's attack as their upraised swords began to waver and the rocky surface they stood upon began to crater in. Nanashi smiled beneath the Epyon armor.

_**"At last! Victory is mine!"**_

However, a pulse of energy rippled out from beneath the diminishing light and it began to brighten and push back the dark energy once again. Nanashi drew in more power from the Black Comet and fueled it, but this time it wasn't able to force the light back down and the wave of darkness continued to back away.

_**"Impossible!"**_

Despite the clash of energies, Nanashi was able to catch a glimpse of Nova and Inferno and was shocked by what he saw. Both warriors had redirected their swords toward Nanashi and the white energy that had surrounded them was now being used in a beam of pure light. Most of all, the symbols of the various traits of the Ronins, Warlords and Celestials surrounded the two upon the rocky grounds they stood upon.

_**"This is all impossible!"**_

_"You've never understood."_ Inferno and Nova answered in unison. _"You yourself said that human fear feeds your darkness and power. But you never understood the true essence of the human spirit. It is something that you could never understand."_ The light beam continued to tear through the dark energy force, inching closer and closer to Nanashi.

_"And that...is your undoing."_

In desperation, Nanashi drew on even more power from the Black Comet, his own armor ripping apart from the excess energy. _'I will not be defeated! I Will Not Be Defeated!'_ Despite his mental roars, the light continued to edge closer and closer to Nanashi and was soon right in front of the Dynasty lord.

_**"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY YOU!!!!!!"**_

_"Farewell, demon lord!"_

With a final cry, both Ronin and Celestial pushed in all the power they could summon. In response, the beam of light flashed into and through Nanashi so suddenly that the Dynasty lord was propelled into the Comet behind him. The Epyon armor shattered upon impact with the Black Comet and the fragments incinerated soon after. The light beam continued on toward the Comet and...

**KAABOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!**

-----------------------------0

The roar and light of the explosion of the Black Comet broke through the dark clouds on Earth, partially blinding the remaining defenders of the mortal realm. When the light faded away, the clouds were cleared away, leaving the sky open to the stars above. For a long moment, the team stood in silence, simply gazing up at the sky and stars and hoping to see any sign of their comrades. And for that long moment, there was nothing to see but fading light and glistening stars.

"Heero..."

Beside her, Mia heard the whispered call of Relena to the sky. She moved closer to her, but her eyes remained fixed on the sky in search. She wanted to tell her that everything was alright, that the two of them survived, but she didn't. It wasn't that she didn't believe it. On the contrary, she kept silent because she did believe. More than believe it. She knew it. And she also knew that Relena knew it as well.

"Look, there!"

Yuli pointed in the sky and the team followed his line of sight to see two falling stars that shone brighter than the others. Upon closer inspection, they saw that they were actually bubbles of energy that were slowly descending from the sky. Slowly, smiles began to lift over the faces of everyone and soon became cheers as they saw the two occupants within.

_Ryo of Wildfire..._

_Heero of Reflections..._

The pair slowly drifted down toward the Earth, their eyes closed in sheer exhaustion and weariness. Ryo was barely able to open his eyes to look upon his fellow Celestial descending from the sky near him, but was able to tell that he too was aware as well. Ryo gave Heero a tired smile as the earth came closer to them

"We did it...Heero..."

Exhaustion soon began to claim him and his eyes closed again. But he was able to hear the equally tired words from the Celestial Warrior before passing out completely.

"Mission...complete...at last..."

--------------------------

_Xardion AN__: The battle is over. But this fanfic isn't yet. One final chapter to go._


	83. Chapter 82

Disclaimer: See initial chapters

-

_Xardion - Sorry for keeping you waiting. I just wanted to make sure I finished this right._

-

_Epilogue_

-

_Three days after the final battle..._

Lady Une looked out from the window of her office within Preventor Headquarters. The evil that had nearly engulfed the world was gone completely. So completely in fact, that it seemed as though none of it happened. Nanashi's invasion, the battles they found, and the damage as a result, all of it was absent.

The Preventor commander allowed herself a sigh. At least no one involved remembered any of the events that had taken place. It would be better for both the world and the colonies to not have to recall any of the horrors they may have experienced as the Dynasty's prisoners. As an extra bonus, she wouldn't have to explain any of this to the president. Mystic armor, otherworld creatures, battle between good and evil...

Yeah, that would be easy to explain...

Turning around, she sat down at her desk and checked over the reports. It was an odd thing, returning to her previous activities after all she had learned. Even more so than the Netherrealm and the battles, she had also learned a great deal about herself; about her heritage, even learned of a distant relative she never knew about, yet have fought bravely alongside of.

A sister-in-arms...

She remembered the day when Kayura, as well as the other Seasonals returned to the border of the Netherrealm and the mortal realm. Nanashi may have been vanquished, but ambitions demons of the Netherrealm would always be a danger and therefore the mortal realm would need guardians. A first line of defense. Kayura and her group were just such defenders.

Along with one other...

-

_Back, the day before..._

-

_"Are you certain you can not stay longer?"_

_The teams were all grouped together outside of the forest where the Cave of the Ancients resided. Everyone save for Zechs, Noin who had gone away on their original mission to Mars. Relena and Heero were absent as well, with Relena returning to her duties as Vice-Foreign Minister and Heero, well, disappearing altogether. Dorothy also was unavailable, but she had always been an elusive woman to begin with._

_"I'm afraid not." Kayura answered, clothed in her priestess robes. "The border of realms will always be in need of defense and we have our duty to perform."_

_"We understand." Mia replied from the group. "We'll miss you."_

_"As will we." Her gaze soon roved over the Celestials and the Ronins. "You have all done us a great service for the world and we will always be grateful."_

_Ryo stepped forward. "We did what we had to do, just as you did."_

_"Just as you have your duty as Warlords, we have ours as Celestials and Ronins." Wufei added._

_"Seasonals." Kale countered. When the others gave him a questioning glance, he replied. "The title 'Warlord' is a part of our past as a part of the Dynasty. We're better off putting it behind us for good."_

_All gave approving nods and Kayura turned around and stretched out her hand. A small ripple formed and distorted the space it occupied. The other Seasonals turned to it as well and nodded to each other._

_"Well, Kay, we better get a move on it." Sekmet grinned._

_Kayura gave him a short glare, but said nothing as she began to step toward the portal. However, Une stepped out of the group and toward her, the Staff of the Ancients in her grasp; its ring clattering lightly. As Kayura turned back to her, Une leveled the artifact sideways and held it out to her._

_"I believe you will need this back then."_

_Kayura gave the staff a brief look before shaking her head. "No. You hold on to it. It is a part of you, of your heritage."_

_"I know. But it belongs to you just as much, perhaps more. Just as you need to defend the border of realms, I have my own world to protect. But I do not need the Staff in my case." Her eyes met Kayura's with sincerity as she finished. "You do."_

_Looking down at the staff in silence, Kayura slowly and tentatively took it into her own hands. Her hands closed around it and Une moved her hands away. She had held the Staff for a considerable amount of time and it had aided her in more than one occasion, even shielding her from Nanashi's assault. But she meant what she said. The Staff of the Ancients belonged with Kayura._

_"...Thank you."_

_Une backed away as Kayura turned and entered the portal. Soon enough the three other Seasonals entered as well, with Yuli waving goodbye to them all. However, Une's gaze was solely on the last person to enter the portal. The Celestial of the Storms._

_"Goodbye, Master Trieze." she whispered._

-

Frowning, Une suppressed another sigh that had threatened to voice from her throat, finding the sentiment a bit juvenile. Although it wasn't as hard as hearing about his death in the Eve War, seeing Trieze leave was hard for her. She was his most loyal compatriot and her feelings for him were strong even his supposed death. It would have to be, since that was the first time in years that she ever shed tears. She wouldn't say she was in love with him, but she wouldn't necessarily dismiss the notion either.

In either case, it wouldn't have changed his decision to leave the mortal realm and join Kayura to aid in defending the border. Initially, she had offered him a position as a Preventor. Like Zechs, he would be able to move about freely since the world at large believed he was dead. While he agreed with this, he decided to join the Seasonals instead, saying that his talents would be of better use there.

The thought of him leaving again didn't bode well for Une, but she understood his reason. He was a more recognized figure than Zechs and there weren't many fields he could be used for. The Preventors were best kept in small groups, to avoid the appearance of a militia. As much as she hated to admit it, he could do little in the world or the colonies.

But there was still his daughter...

Though this discussion left him silent a few times, Trieze still felt it best to disappear. Not that he didn't love Mariemaia; but he had been absent too many times in her life to be any real father. And in a world where he was believed dead, he wouldn't be able to be around her even if he wanted to (and he did want to). There was also another reason, one that silenced any further protests Une had.

_-"She has you, my dear Une. And there is no one I trust more with her than you."-_

Une just couldn't argue against that. The man she had the most respect and loyalty for, felt the same about her, so much so that he would bestow to her his most precious treasure. However, he did stay long enough to spend whole one day with her and although Mariemaia was nervous at first, she steadily drew close to her father. Une had tried to keep her distance to give the two more time together, but she found they would always drawn her in with them.

It made her...happy...

But as always, such moments were short lived and the following day, Trieze departed for the border. But not before taking with him a picture of her with him. And in return, he left her his word that he would visit her whenever he could.

And Trieze had always been true to his word...

This time, she let a sigh escape her lips and smiled as she opened her desk drawer and lifted up a picture frame. It was a duplicate of the picture that Trieze had left Mariemaia. In it, Mariemaia was station up front, wearing a cute little white dress. Behind her was Trieze, suited in a black and blue uniform, his hand lightly draped around Mariemaia's shoulders. And beside them was Une herself, wearing her Preventor uniform and with her hands draped together. She then understood why she always smiled upon seeing this picture. The three of them together, it was almost as if they were...

...a family.

-------------------------

_L3 colony_

The massive tent stood out in the midst of the colony as many gathered for the upcoming show. Inside, Quatre sat on a long bench that was close to the lower portion of the stage. It wasn't directly up front, but just close enough the see everything. They were seats that many would want, but no one took. The reason?

They were reserved seats...

"These are some nice seats, Quatre."

Looking to his right, Quatre smiled as both Duo and Hilde came in beside him, their hands holding snack and drinks. Already, Duo had some popcorn stuffed in his mouth, which elicited a sharp glare from the young woman beside him.

"You should thank Trowa." Quatre answered as the two sat down. "He got them for us."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Hilde asked, beginning to look around the stage.

Quatre pointed up toward the top. There on the platform, Trowa was busy working on the high wires that he and Catherine would be performing on.

"Hey Trowa." Duo yelled out. "Thanks for the seats."

Hearing Duo from below, Trowa turned his head and gave the group a simple nod, after which he returned back to work. Quatre smiled at his friend's usual silent response. It was hard to believe that just days ago, they were in the battle for their life and for the lives of everyone in the Earth and colonies (again). For various reasons, it was different from the battles in the past and that left a different sensation in the Celestial. To fight for the simple cause of good verses evil, with no guilt of killing an opponent, yet to give everything you had to stop the darkness.

It was somewhat... refreshing...

So into his thoughts was Quatre that he didn't notice another form take a seat beside him. The newcomer smiled as they looked at the young man's thoughtful (and spaced out) gaze and it took a light and familiar chuckle to break him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Well, these are quite the seats, Mr. Winner."

Quatre blinked hard as he realized who was seated next to him. "Miss Dorothy?

"Now what kind of greeting is that?' She folded her arms and gave a fake sneer. "It sounds as though you're upset to see me."

"N-no. I... It's just..." Stopping himself from stuttering further, Quatre paused and tried again. "I'm just surprised to see you here."

"Yes, well. Someone has to keep you guys on your toes." Her glance became predatory. "Or at the very least, you."

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm sure you'll do your job well." he replied, turning to look forward.

"Of course." Following his action, she faced forward as well. "Especially since I owe you."

Blinking again, Quatre turned back to her. "Huh? What do you mean by that, Miss Dorothy?"

"That'll be my little secret." she replied with a slight smile. "And you don't need to be so formal with me...Quatre."

"Hey, here come the others."

Breaking away from his confusion from Dorothy, Quatre turned to where Hilde indicated. Coming up the step way, Rowen, Kento, Cye, Sage and Yuli all smiled at the others and filed into the seats.

"Hiya guys."

"Hey kiddo." Duo returned to Yuli. "You guys are just on time."

"That's good. I was hoping we wouldn't be too late." Rowen replied

"Yeah." Sage added. "Thanks for inviting us."

"No problem." Duo grinned. "Gotta have something between friends besides demons and battles to save the world."

Looking among the group, Hilde asked. "Speaking of which, where's Ryo and Mia?"

Cye answered. "Ryo's still recovering, so he couldn't make it."

With a sly grin, Kento added. "And Mia's looking after him."

"Oh." Now it was Duo's turn to grin. "Is that all?"

Not noticing the unspoken message between the two, Yuli went on to ask. "What about Heero and Miss Relena? And Wufei too?"

"Wufei was too busy to come." Hilde answered. "I think Relena's looking after Heero. I don't think he's woken up though."

Rowen blinked questioningly at this. "Really? But Ryo's already awake now. Shouldn't Heero be too?"

Duo's grin turned into a knowing smile. "Don't worry. He's probably faking it again."

"Again?"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"Hey everybody, the show's starting!" Yuli cheered.

With that, the group, along with the rest of the audience, turned their attention to the center stage to watch the show. The thoughts and pains of battle and war briefly forgotten in the moments of peace friendship.

----------------------------

_Preventor Transport_

_'That'll do it.'_

Signing his name on the mission completion sheet, Wufei closed the pad and rested his head on the back of the seat, his thoughts drifting back to the battles of days past. Although he and Sally had resumed their missions almost immediately after the final battle, they felt tame in comparison to what they had endured, at least to him.

More than any of the others, Wufei was a warrior, and despite the pains and desperate moments that had taken place, Wufei couldn't help but remember the elation he felt from those moments. A part of him long to have such moments again and when the Trieze told them that he would be joining the Seasonals to guard the mortal realm from the border, Wufei had considered following his lead.

But in the end, he decided against it. There was no need for him to seek battle. He had found his place in the world. His purpose... He was a Preventor, with a mission to prevent the terrors and tragedies of war from resurfacing in this world.

As far as he was concerned, that would be enough...

"Hey, Wufei." Sally spoke as she entered in. "Commander Une just called. Looks like she has another assignment ready for us already."

"Alright." was the simple reply.

----------------------------

_Koji residence_

His face lifted to the sky, Ryo took in a good breath of fresh air. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set; its fading light leaving the sky in a mix of bright colors. _'Just like fire'_, Ryo mused thoughtfully as his hand adjusted to Whiteblaze's back. While it didn't look like it at first glance, Ryo was actually supporting himself on the tiger.

After the final battle, both he and Heero were left severely weakened from the fight, so much so that they couldn't so much as move for a good while, and that was after they had regained consciousness.

Mia took the responsibility of taking care of the exhausted Ronin (she helped the others too, but mostly Ryo). While that wasn't unusual for her, she did spend more time with him than usual. So it didn't surprise the others when she decided to stay with him while they traveled to the colonies.

"Ryo, you should be in bed resting."

Turning around, Ryo gave Mia an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I just needed some fresh air." His hand rubbed against the tiger's back. "Right boy?"

Whiteblaze let out a low growl as Mia moved up toward the two. Despite his appearance, she knew full well that he wasn't completely healed. Just the day before, she had to help him back in bed after he tried to get up and fell to the ground. She also remembered how her heart rate sped up as she did and she was almost certain that she was blushing. It was strange; she had been close contact with him before without such a reaction, but now...

Now her feelings were clear...

That moment was interrupted when Cye and Kento came in the room to tell them about the invitation to the colonies. Seeing the two together, Kento was ready to tease the two, but Cye cut in before Kento could say a word, telling them that they would be heading to the colonies. Seeing as how Ryo was still unable to move properly, he would be alone with Mia until they returned. To hear Cye say that was surprising, as if he was purposefully setting them up.

Not that she minded...

"Even still, I don't want you to push yourself too hard." she gently admonished him. "You've been through a lot."

"I know. But I'm better now, thanks to you."

Mia felt her face flush from the compliment, but managed to return. "It's the least I could do, after everything you've done."

"But that's the thing." His eyes turned away from her and lowered to the ground. "I...none of us would have made it if not for you. We owe you our lives."

"I couldn't help it. I wanted to be there to help you guys." Her hand slowly reached toward his and held onto it. "To be there...for you..."

This caused Ryo to blink and slowly look up at her, meeting her gaze with his own. "Mia..."

The young woman continued, her soft voice carrying into her ears and heart... "You've always protected us, Ryo. And you've always taken the punishment as a result. I just didn't want you to get hurt again." Her last words finished determinedly.

"Not if I could help it."

Ryo let this sink in with a moment of silence. It was difficult to believe that just days ago, Mia had actually been fighting alongside them. For the longest time, he had fought to protect his friends. It was his greatest drive as a Ronin Warrior. Mia was included in that protective net, so having her put herself in danger was unsettling for him at first. But she had proven herself capable as a warrior, saving their lives more than once and giving them the chance they needed to take down Nanashi. To know she had that kind of strength of will.

It endeared her to him all the more...

It was no secret now how he felt about her. Indeed, those feelings were made quite clear during the battles that took place; his near-desperate desire to be at her side made him act more reckless than usual. And such feelings were returned; otherwise she would not be here with him now.

"I know how you feel. I don't like seeing any of my friends getting hurt, not if I could do something to stop it. I don't think I could take it if... if anything had happened to you."

Unbeknownst to them, Whiteblaze listened in on the conversation of the two and, as hard as it was to imagine, was getting frustrated. More than anyone else, the white tiger had seen their interactions together, could sense their attraction to each other. Heck, the tiger was there watching when Mia kissed a sleeping Ryo some days earlier. But now, with the way they moved, it would take them years to make a move.

With a low growl, the tiger shifted his back slightly, causing Ryo's hand to slide away. The young man, who was too engaged in his conversation, lost his balance and slipped. Given his still weakened condition, he had no choice but to fall. On reflex, Mia moved in to catch him, but she wound up losing her balance as well and the two tumbled onto the grass below.

Giving a low groan, Ryo made ready to glare at the tiger, when he soon realized the position he was in. Both he and Mia were laying side by side on the grass, with Ryo's arm underneath Mia's, her body partly over his and their faces, just inches away from each other. Both parties were stunned for a moment, but their eyes never left each other. Ryo's face turned crimson and he began stuttering.

"S-sor-ry..."

Hearing his stuttered apology, Mia broke out of her trance and gazed at him. To see the leader of the Ronin Warriors, a man brave enough to take on hordes of Dynasty soldiers; not to mention the master of the Dynasty, reduced to blushing and stuttering simply because of her was amusing.

Amusing and flattering...

Despite her own racing heart, Mia was able to calmly reach up to Ryo's face. As her hand touched Ryo's face, the young man ceased in his stuttering and simply looked back. Her caressing touch and gentle eyes held him in place and Ryo could nothing but breathe. And that soon became difficult as Mia slowly and steadily leaned in closer to him, their lips a mere inch away.

"No need to apologize...my Wildfire."

Without another word, Mia closed the gap between them. Ryo was frozen stiff, but he could feel himself being drawn in to softness of her lips. Mia broke away before he could fully act, but she didn't move that far away and remained close to him, a serene smile on her lips. Ryo found his breathing labored once again as he stared at the beautiful woman next to him.

A beautiful woman that he was in love with...

A beautiful woman that was in love with him...

His nervousness forgotten, a matching smile formed over his lips as he reached up to her. The pain and soreness in his body from the battles of the past dulled away into the dream-like present of her sweet lips against his. As their embrace deepened and their hands and arms tangled around one another, Whiteblaze strode away silently, his presence obviously unnecessary now.

But not before letting out a satisfied purr...

-----------------------------

_Colony L3-E8005_

In the docking bay of the satellite, a Preventor shuttle sat in wait. Onboard, Zechs was seated in the cockpit working on the controls. However, his mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment. Pausing in his work, the silver-haired man glanced down at his armor orb. His thoughts took him back to everything that had taken place in the past couple of days. The battles themselves weren't what troubled him really. Battle was nothing new to him. Being on the side of darkness didn't bother him all that much either. That too wasn't new to him. In fact, the one thing on his mind wasn't new at all. And yet, at times like this, _it_ came to his mind more often than not.

"Fuel and supplies are all set up." Noin spoke from behind him as she entered the cockpit. "We can head out anytime now."

"Okay."

Noin blinked as she sat down beside him. She had known him long enough to tell his moods by the tone of his voice. And right now, he was deep in thought about something.

"Is something wrong, Zechs?"

There was a long period of silence, but she patiently waited him out. Soon enough, he replied, with only one word.

"Why?"

"Hm?"

He continued to look forward, but she could see...something in his eyes. "For as long as I've known you Noin, you have always believed and trusted in me. Yet... with all that I've done. I just... I've never understood why you continue to believe in me."

Silence came up between them once again, as knew realized what she saw in his eyes. _Guilt._ Guilt for the times he had come up against her in battle. Without a word, Noin rose up from her seat and moved away. Zechs kept his gaze forward, although he was confused by Noin's action. That confusion deepened when a pair of slender arms came and settled around his neck from behind. .

"Faith, Zechs."

He didn't have to see her face to know that she was smiling. Her voice and answer told him as much. And if that wasn't enough, her head lowered down just beside his, their cheeks in light contact.

"And you haven't let me down yet.""

------------------------------

_Preventor HQ_

_'So he's gone again...'_

With a sigh, Relena entered the recovery room in the medical wing of the Preventor Headquarters. She should have known he wouldn't be there when she returned. It was this thought alone that made her want stay in the room after he had awoken. But she felt she needed to get some fresh air and a moment to think. Like the rest of her compatriots, her mind was on the past events.

Initially, she had little memory of what took place. But that changed when she, Mia and Kayura went to the Cave of the Ancients to return the Starlight Swords. By doing that, somehow, the Starlight Swords cleared her memory. Unfortunately, that meant that she recalled her time as the Dynasty avatar, Lady Shiva. And with it, all the terrible things she had done in battle with the others. It took a lot of convincing from both Kayura and Mia to assure her that she couldn't help it, since she was under Nanashi's control. Kayura especially was sympathetic to the young woman, since she had been in the same position before.

Despite the reassurance from the two, Relena still felt a sense of unease about herself. With what she had done, could she continue to do her work of peace? Would it make her a hypocrite if she did? Though she didn't consider herself a Peacecraft, the ideals of peace and pacifism were always her goals. But could she, now that she knew... took part, in the fervor of battle?

"Heero..."

She hadn't had to think of it much since she was here watching over Heero. He hadn't awoken since his battle against Nanashi, which was odd considering that she had heard that Ryo had awoken long before. But perhaps he was buying her time until he could disappear again. Like he had done so many times before in the past. Another sigh escaped her lips and she turned back to the door, only to be completely shocked by what she saw.

"Heero...! I-I thought you left."

"I did. But I came back. You haven't eaten much since you were here."

Her eyes lowering, she saw he was holding a tray of food in his hands. The fact that he hadn't disappeared and left like the previous times was enough of a surprise for her, but that he would get her food because he was concerned for her...

And how did he know she hadn't eaten much...?

Wordlessly, she accompanied Heero to the medical bed where he sat down. She initially thought to sit in the chair opposite of him, but somehow she found herself sitting next to him instead. In response, he handed her one of the trays and after she took it, began eating himself.

"Thank you, Heero."

"Hn."

It was amazing to see Heero up and about after his fight with Nanashi. It wasn't surprising, considering this was the same young man who survived and walked away from a fall from a building (with Duo's help) as well as a mobile suit explosion (twice), but it was still something to see. It was just a small part of that strength that she always saw in him. Strength that she had always believed in.

Strength...she felt she needed now.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

Her eyes lowered to her uneaten food and her voice came out in a near whisper. "I'm sorry. For what I did to you and the others."

The young man made only a brief pause to reply. "You aren't to blame. You know that."

"I do. But still, the feelings remain." She paused to collect herself. "Even if I weren't in control of my actions, I still fought. And even after Miss Koji's help, I still fought. How can I be able to continue as though nothing happened?"

"You don't."

That wasn't the answer she expected and she gasped in response. Looking up at him, she saw that he was now looking over at her directly. Relena found herself completely stunned as Prussian eyes locked with aquamarine.

"You have always fought for peace and you always will. All that you have seen is a first-hand view of the battlefield and that will only serve to intensify your efforts. It will not change who you are."

His words were said with such certainty, yet it was his eyes that caught her attention the most. They were as intense as ever, filled with that strength of spirit she always associated him with. But there was also something else. Gentleness... She had seen this look in his eyes only once before.

The moment just before he took off to face Zechs...

That moment together in the cockpit of the Wing Zero...

"How can you be so sure?"

She didn't mean to sound uncertain still, but she just wanted reassurance. Not reassurance that she would still be able to act on the behalf of peace. Reassurance that this moment right now...was real.

"Because... just as you believed in me... I believe in you."

Heero soon turned back to his plate, but Relena was able to catch the ghost of a smile play on his lips. Turning back to her own tray, Relena smiled and began to eat as well. It was strange; she never understood why he believed in her so much when he was the strong one, but it seemed that he felt the same way about himself and her. But it was these feelings that allow them to help each other. And it guided her through her fears and doubts just as it guided him through the fighting and battles.

Allowing the peace of the moment to fill her, Relena found herself leaning over to the young man beside her. Heero blinked when he felt her head rest lightly on his shoulder and turned his head to look back at her. Her eyes were closed, but the look of serenity on her face as she continued eating was clear to see. Sensing that he had turned, Relena paused in eating and whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"I still believe in you, Heero."

She didn't have to look to know he was smiling now and they resumed eating in contented silence...

-------------------------------

_Peace. _

_The reward of those true who fought for it..._

_But despite this, those who would serve the darkness will return, to disrupt that peace with battle._

_But we never need fear the loss of the light._

_As long as the Seasonals Warriors guard the gates..._

_As long as the Ronin Warriors defend this world..._

_And as long as the Celestial Warriors protect the stars..._

-------------

Thank you all for sticking with this story and especially thankful for the reviews. As every fanfic writer knows, they are the lifeblood of fanfiction and this story would have not been completed without them (_Xardion: or it probably would have, but it wouldn't be as much fun. I'm just that stubborn_).

Thanks again from both Wildfire Dreams and _Xardion_


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